Printed Textile Document

Date1770-1780

MediumLinen warp, cotton weft (tabby woven)

DimensionsOverall: 52 x 30 1/4in. (132.1 x 76.8cm) Other (Repeat): 39in. (99.1cm) 56 warps per inch; 60 wefts per inch.

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1963-72

DescriptionCopperplate print: The Four Seasons printed in sepia on natural linen/cotton ground. Autumn represented by a man pulling grapevine from tree and passing it to seated woman. Woman seated at edge of pond waving to young man, who is ice-skating, represents Winter. Spring scene shows a lady with a basket of flowers seated in a gardenl beside her is a young man who adorns her hair with flowers. His shepherd's crook, a flask, and a lamb lie nearby. Summer is illustrated by a man holding a scythe and a girl holding a rake; in the background is a field of grain. Each vignette is framed by various deciduous and coniferous trees.
Label TextEnglish printed textiles of a large scale were typically referred as "furnitures." By 1842, The British Register of Designs designated that all prints over 12 by 8 inches were to be considered "furnitures." While this was stated over fifty years after this piece was created, it stylistically remains true for earlier periods.

While this print has an unknown maker, the pine trees closely resemble the style printed by Nixon and Company.

Wealthier British and American consumers purchased these large prints for bed curtains, slip covers, etc, often making a room all matching or "en suite."