The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 21, 2025

Flower Embroidery Design for Silk Manufactory of Lyon

c. 1790

Jean Baptiste Pillement

(French, 1728–1808)
France, 18th century
black and colored crayon on wove paper
Sheet: 22.2 x 24.4 cm (8 3/4 x 9 5/8 in.)
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.67
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Jean Baptiste Pillement not only created designs for silk manufacture, he also is credited with inventing a new technique for printing on fabric.

Description

This drawing features a floral design intended for use by the silk manufactory in Lyon, a city with a long tradition in this industry. Jean Baptiste Pillement’s chalk drawings were translated not only into fabric, but also prints, which circulated and spread his style widely. Here, he used a small range of colors and repeated forms to create an appealing decorative motif.
  • April 27, 1977
    Sotheby's, London, England
    Shepherd Gallery, New York, NY
    1977-1980
    Mr. Noah L. Butkin [1918-1980]
    1980-2005
    Mrs. Muriel Butkin [1915-2008]
    March 4, 2019
    the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Sotheby's (Firm). Fine French 18th Century Prints and Drawings. 1977. ill. Lot 94
  • Sotheby's, London, "Fine French 18th-Century Prints and Drawings," April 27, 1977, #94, illustrated, page 80.
  • {{cite web|title=Flower Embroidery Design for Silk Manufactory of Lyon|url=false|author=Jean Baptiste Pillement|year=c. 1790|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2019.67