Servet met een bloempatroon c. 1900 - 1905

This linen napkin with a floral pattern, made by John Wilson's Successors, is a lesson in tonal painting. Can you imagine the artist figuring out how to place the images of the flowers and swans so that they emerge in a way that’s both subtle and present? It makes me wonder what the artist thought about while composing this piece. Were they thinking of Monet and his waterlilies? Or maybe they were just trying to make something beautiful for someone's table! It's interesting to think about how the slightly raised texture of the pattern invites you to touch it, to physically experience the artwork. These kinds of textiles remind me that all artists are in conversation, across time and different mediums, inspiring each other and exchanging ideas.