2299 B. by Pingot and Pouillier

2299 B. by Pingot and Pouillier

C. 1879

Lithograph

Issued alongside parallel designs in 1879, this monochrome commercial fashion plate captures the highly structured silhouette of late 19th-century European couture. Published for the prominent textile house Frères Koechlin at 33 Rue du Sentier in Paris, France, this work stems from the firm's major production center in Mulhouse, Alsace. The composition centers on a single female figure in profile, showcasing an elaborate day dress tailored from a tightly patterned checkered cloth. The ensemble features a form-fitting cuirass bodice with delicate lace-cuffed sleeves, flowing into a dramatic draped bustle skirt accented by a large dark bow at the hip and dense, fine pleating down to the hem. She completes the look with an ornate lace-trimmed bonnet tied at the neck and a matching open parasol held in her left hand.

Fashion plates generated for industrial enterprises like Frères Koechlin reflect the complex intersections of art, trade, and manufacturing during France's textile golden age. Established originally in 1746, the Koechlin family pioneered mechanical fabric printing in Mulhouse, growing their operation into a world leader of patterned cloth and high-end fashion logistics. By utilizing Paris as their primary showroom on Rue du Sentier, provincial manufacturers directly influenced cosmopolitan garment design and distributed stylized plates as structural templates for international dressmakers. This black and white print is historically significant because it charts the evolution of Victorian silhouettes while capturing the expanding scope of early corporate branding and commercial advertising. Rather than functioning simply as passive illustration, this plate served as a vital sales vehicle that translated raw Alsatian textile manufacturing into elite Parisian luxury.

Dimensions: H 13 5/16” x 10” W

Condition: Tears on upper right corner, right edge and bottom left corner