This striking textile originates from France, produced in 1895, and serves as a scholarly example of the bold, monochromatic floral designs favored during the late Victorian era. Measuring 30 inches by 18 inches (76 cm x 46 cm), the piece is an original roller-printed sample crafted from a heavy cretonne (unglazed cotton). Manufactured by the esteemed Scheurer company in Mulhouse, Alsace, this sample was acquired at auction in Paris and remarkably retains its original archival label specifying the design and fabric content. Because it was protected from environmental degradation within a sample book for over a century, the pigments remain exceptionally vibrant, though the piece features one original selvedge and three cut edges from its removal for archival sale.

The visual narrative is a powerful, vertical arrangement of large-scale acanthus-style florals and scrolling foliage set against a saturated dark pink backdrop. The design is executed in a tonal palette of deep reds and magentas, creating a rich, multi-layered effect through the use of fine stippling and hatching. The composition is structured by wide vertical bands containing grand, blooming flowers with feathery, serrated leaves, flanked by narrower decorative borders featuring delicate floral vines. This technical mastery reflects the Scheurer company’s ability to achieve profound depth and texture using a limited color range, capturing the transition from the ornate density of the 19th century toward the more fluid, rhythmic patterns of the early 20th century.

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