The History of Printed Fabrics in Two Splendid Volumes
Taschen’s “The Book of Printed Fabrics” presents the incredible collection of the Musée de l’Impression sur étoffes in Mulhouse, France
Some books are not just volumes to be read and collected but objects to be preserved and handed down. Taschen’s “The Book of Printed Fabrics. From the 16th century until today” is a rare gem, a unique category in its own right, offering a privileged glimpse into the world of printed fabrics.
This impressive work presents the globally significant collection of the Musée de l’Impression sur étoffes (The Museum of Printed Fabrics) located in Mulhouse, France—on the border of Germany and Switzerland. The museum, born in the 1800s, is a testament to the prosperous fabric printing industry, and includes contributions from four continents to create the world’s most important collection of printed textiles.
Taschen’s mammoth work, meticulously assembled by the book’s author, Aziza Gril-Mariotte, presents an impressive roundup of about 900 images in two volumes across a total of 888 pages. These are accompanied by English, French and German texts, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching reading and research experience.
The first volume covers international designs; this includes Indian textiles, and Japanese ones. In addition to floral patterns, the book illustrates abstract designs, from classic paisleys to sophisticated batik-inspired gradients. Fascinating is the section dedicated to how the industrialization of the printing processes influenced fabric design.
The second volume showcases the technique and creativity achieved by fabric producers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some designs, colors and methods seem utterly contemporary, but surprisingly, they date back one hundred years or more. This is the case with the Ground Patterns designed by Mizzi Ebert and Adele Bettelheim in 1904 as well as dress fabric samples from 1880. Despite being analog, they look and feel like the product of a digital age.
The book is available for pre-order at Taschen’s online store for 200 USD.
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