Water-lily textile

Cheney Brothers|Associated Artists

1883–1900 · Silk, woven and printed · The American Wing

This water-lily textile is one example of Wheeler’s innovative and justifiably famous "shadow silks." To make these fabrics a special warp-printing technique was employed: the warp (the vertical threads) was preprinted with the pattern beforehand, and when the solid-colored horizontal weft threads were woven in, the designs naturally fell slightly out of alignment. The twill weave creates a noticeable diagonal rib, and light reflects off the ribbed surface, further softening the printed design. These blurring effects, suggesting reflections on water, are heightened by the iridescence resulting from the use of contrasting colors for the warp and the weft—here, gold (warp) and pink (weft).

Artist

Cheney Brothers|Associated Artists

Date

1883–1900

Medium

Silk, woven and printed

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Boudinot Keith, 1928