Johann Friedrich Netto (German, active 1795–1809)
Published by Voss und Compagnie, Leipzig, 1798
Etching, silk and metal thread; Largest page: 10 5/8 x 16 3/4 in. (27 x 42.5 cm)
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932 (32.121.3)
This is the second volume of embroidery patterns published by Netto; the first appeared in 1795. The illustrations are in the Neoclassical style and include bouquets, beaded swags, and floral borders. Each design appears twice: one page in color, one in black and white. Presumably the colored pages provided suggestions to the embroiderer, and the black and white pages were to be used to transfer the design. Remarkably, the first page of designs is not a colored etching but actual embroidery on silk. A combination of silk, metal-wrapped thread, and silver metal sequins was used to complete the patterns, and the sky of the central landscape with a volcano was painted directly on to the silk. The last pages of this volume show memorial tomb designs, picturesque ruins, and weeping willows, motifs that foreshadow early nineteenth-century Romanticism.
In the first decade of the nineteenth century, Netto went on to publish books of designs for knitting. He also collaborated on a general treatise of household hints that included suggestions on a variety of topics, ranging from linen weaving and protecting wool against moth damage, to growing vegetables in the winter.
Related
Index Terms
Art Movement/Style
Material and Technique
- Embroidery
- Embroidery from Europe
- Etching
- Etching with Architectural Theme
- Silk Textile
- Textile in Silk from Europe
