Design for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a Cloud

Design for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a Cloud

Philippe de Lasalle

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This drawing contains a design for a military trophy, consisting of a purple and gold victory chariot on top of a shield and other weapons, the trophy rests on top of dark thunderous clouds. The chariot is decorated with an ermine fur textile, lined on the other side with a blue silk fabric, decorated with a pattern of fleurs-de-lis. The chariot is crowned by three exotic feathers and a laurel branch. The design represents the victory of the Russian Empire over the Turks and the resulting annexation of Crimea (1768-1774), and was meant for a lampas weave executed by the firm of Pernon for Empress Catherine the Great. The drawing is attributed to the famous designer of silk textiles Philippe de la Salle. Up until now, no works by this artist, either textiles or drawings, were present in the Museum's collection. The current designs is a freehand drawing rather than a mise-en-carte, required for silk weaving, and represents a stage before the manufacturing process by the Pernon firm. A specimen of the fabric is kept in the Museum of Textiles in Lyon, which has faded severely over time. The drawing therefore forms an important record of the vibrancy of the colors in the original textile.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Design for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a CloudDesign for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a CloudDesign for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a CloudDesign for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a CloudDesign for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a Cloud

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.