Anon. Antique French Textile Design: Royal Blue Mughal Birds

French Silk Textile Designs: 1880s Gouaches

This painting forms part of a wonderful collection of painted textile designs produced in France towards the end of the 19th century. The city of Lyon had long been the epicentre of the French textile industry and was, since the 15th century, the nation’s leading centre for silk production. Its strategic location along the Saône River provided direct access to major Italian hubs of the silk trade, allowing the industry to flourish. By the 17th century, Lyon was Europe’s silk capital, developing its own distinctive techniques and artistic styles; in 1620, the city was home to around 10,000 silk looms.

The handpainted designs in this collection—vibrantly coloured and remarkably intricate—go hand in hand with the major technological innovations in the industry in the 19th century. The Jacquard loom was invented in 1801, and the period saw the rise of synthetic dyes that enabled richer and more varied colours. These advancements propelled the industry forward, and by 1870 the number of active looms in Lyon had reached 100,000. This period of rapid expansion and innovation from 1850 to 1950 became known in France as the Second Industrial Revolution.

These high fashion designs were most probably destined for haute couture fashion houses; their scrolling floral motifs bridge French Rococo and emerging Art Nouveau design styles, whilst heavily referencing fashionable Indo-Persian and Mughal design elements, driven by an Orientalist fascination with the East.