Fragment

Textiles

1838/1855

This work exemplifies American efforts toward domestic silk production in the early 19th century. At the time, some Americans expressed concern that the importation of luxury goods, such as silk, from Europe, did not properly showcase the nation’s greatness. Under the direction of Gertrude Rapp, members of the Harmony Society, a small pious sect of Lutheran immigrants, raised silkworms and wove silk textiles. Although members supposedly had no interest in fashion or luxury, this colorful silk velvet demonstrates their dedication to self-sufficiency.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Textiles

Artist: Gertrude Rapp (Designer)
Title: Fragment
Place: United States (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 1838–1855
Medium: Silk, satin weave with supplementary patterning warps and pile warps forming cut voided velvet
Dimensions: 24.4 × 47 cm (9 5/8 × 18 1/2 in.); Repeat: 11.6 × 5.1 cm (4 5/8 × 2 in.)
Credit Line: Acquired by exchange from the Scalamandré Museum
Reference Number: 1952.502
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/77594/manifest.json

Christa Charlotte Mayer, Masterpieces of Western Textiles from The Art Institute of Chicago, exh. cat. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1969), 87, pl. 114.
Mayer Thurman, Christa C. Textiles in The Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago, 1992. pp. 111-12, 148.

Art Institute of Chicago, Masterpieces of Western Textiles, Jan. 25–Mar. 2, 1969.
Art Institute of Chicago, Fashion Items and Textiles Pertaining to Fashion, Apr. 29–July 16, 1978.
Art Institute of Chicago, Agnes Allerton Gallery, Sumptuous Velvets from the Permanent Collection, Mar. 1–Sept. 28, 1980.
Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, Textile Masterpieces from the Art Institute of Chicago’s Collection, Feb. 17–May 2, 1993.
Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, America the Beautiful: Textiles from the Permanent Collection, Mar. 6–Jul. 21, 1996.
Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, Modern Velvet: A Sense of Luxury in the Age of Industry, Oct. 21, 2016–Mar. 19, 2017.

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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.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.