Parasol

Raoul Dufy|Paul Poiret

spring/summer 1914 · silk, wood · Costume Institute

This printed-silk parasol represents the collaborative endeavors of the French fashion designer Paul Poiret and the artist Raoul Dufy. Together, in consultation with the chemist Zifferlein, Poiret and Dufy established a small printing workshop on the avenue de Clichy in Paris to produce a variety of textiles that were used in both garments and accessories. Their early experiments combined a bright Fauvist palette with the stylized forms characteristic of Japanese woodblock prints. Although Dufy was recognized foremost for his career as a painter, his textiles were so successful that the important French manufacturer Bianchini-Férier recruited him to work at the company’s maison for a brief period, enabling broader dissemination of his striking designs.

Artist

Raoul Dufy|Paul Poiret

Date

spring/summer 1914

Medium

silk, wood

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Alfred Z. Solomon-Janet A. Sloane Endowment Fund, 2019