Utrecht Velvet

William MorrisWW-1871-132027

1871·Cotton and silk, plain weave with supplementary pile warps forming cut solid velvet; stamped·233 × 87.4 cm (91 3/4 × 34 3/8 in.); Repeat: 58 × 28.6 cm (23 × 11 1/4 in.)

<p>This stamped furnishing fabric imitates, in design and technique, 18th-century velvets made in the Netherlands and known colloquially as “Utrecht velvet.” The city of Utrecht was a center of stamped velvet production. Manufacturers there impressed patterns into cut solid velvet with a heated copper roller. The compressed pile created the illusion of velvet woven with varying piles, which would have been more time consuming to produce. This reproduction catered to consumer desire for high-end, historically inspired furnishings.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1871
Medium: Cotton and silk, plain weave with supplementary pile warps forming cut solid velvet; stamped
Dimensions: 233 × 87.4 cm (91 3/4 × 34 3/8 in.); Repeat: 58 × 28.6 cm (23 × 11 1/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: William Morris

Artist

William Morris

Painting

William Morris was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he campaigned for socialism in fin de siècle Great Britain.

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