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"Narcissus" Dress Fabric

A work made of silk, plain weave; block-printed.

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  • A work made of silk, plain weave; block-printed.

Date:

1910/12

Artist:

Designed by Franz von Zülow (Austrian, 1883–1963)
Produced by the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna, 1903–1932)
Austria, Vienna

About this artwork

The Wiener Werkstatte (Vienna Workshops) opened a textile department around 1910. Printed fabrics became a mainstay of their production. Lightweight silks such as this one were often fashioned into women’s tunics or wide sashes. Designers favored the technique of printing, rather than weaving, to produce patterns, as it offered greater flexibility.

Franz von Zülow was known in particular as a graphic artist, but he was versatile and also did wall painting and made ceramics and other types of applied art. He worked closely with the Wiener Werkstätte from about 1910. The association sold his prints, and he also designed for them textiles, wallpaper, fans, and screens. This fabric, dating from the early years of his collaboration with the firm, illustrates a blend of Art Nouveau style and folk art, two particular sources of influence on his work.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Franz von Zülow (Designer)

Title

"Narcissus" Dress Fabric

Place

Vienna (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1910–1912

Medium

Silk, plain weave; block-printed

Dimensions

140.3 × 94 cm (55 1/4 × 37 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Robert Allerton

Reference Number

1924.214

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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