Not currently on display at the V&A

Longchamp

Furnishing Fabric
1919-1920 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) designed this woven silk furnishing fabric for Bianchini-Férier in 1919-1920. Dufy was a painter who had exhibited with the Fauves. He began to design textiles for Paul Poiret in 1911. From 1912 until 1930 he designed woven and printed textiles for the silk manufacturers Bianchini-Férier. He created a range of lively fabrics in bright colours, many of which were bought by leading couturiers such as Lanvin, Patou and Poiret.

Dufy's woven and printed silks are recognisably in the same manner as his drawings and paintings. In these, the space is treated decoratively, rather than imposing a fixed perspective. Much avant-garde art of the time employed this technique. Social gatherings of the beau monde (the fashionable world) were among his favourite subjects, like this depiction of Longchamp racecourse in Paris.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLongchamp (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Jacquard-woven mercerised cotton
Brief description
Furnishing fabric 'Longchamp' of Jacquard-woven mercerised cotton, designed by Raoul Dufy for Bianchini-Férier, French, 1919-1920
Physical description
Furnishing fabric of Jacquard-woven mercerised cotton. The design features mounted jockeys and elegantly dressed racecourse spectators interspersed within a pattern of rose-blooms and rose leaves in salmon pink and mauve.
Dimensions
  • Width: 25.5in
  • Length: 38in
Style
Subjects depicted
Summary
Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) designed this woven silk furnishing fabric for Bianchini-Férier in 1919-1920. Dufy was a painter who had exhibited with the Fauves. He began to design textiles for Paul Poiret in 1911. From 1912 until 1930 he designed woven and printed textiles for the silk manufacturers Bianchini-Férier. He created a range of lively fabrics in bright colours, many of which were bought by leading couturiers such as Lanvin, Patou and Poiret.

Dufy's woven and printed silks are recognisably in the same manner as his drawings and paintings. In these, the space is treated decoratively, rather than imposing a fixed perspective. Much avant-garde art of the time employed this technique. Social gatherings of the beau monde (the fashionable world) were among his favourite subjects, like this depiction of Longchamp racecourse in Paris.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Samuels, Charlotte. Art Deco Textiles. London : V&A Publications, 2003. Plate 16. The design is illustrated [p.182] in an article by Henri Clouzot on 'Les Tissus Modernes de Raoul Dufy' in the magazine 'Art et Decoration' December 1920.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.168-1932

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Record createdApril 17, 2009
Record URL
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