Plate 2300 by Pingot and Pouillier

Plate 2300 by Pingot and Pouillier

C. 1879

Lithograph

Exhibiting the refined restraint of late 19th-century European design, this monochrome commercial fashion plate details a sophisticated ensemble from the high Victorian era. Published for the textile house Frères Koechlin at 33 Rue du Sentier in Paris, France, this plate originates from their prominent branch in Mulhouse, Alsace. The illustration features a singular female figure standing in profile against a decorative iron balustrade, showcasing an elegant day dress designed to highlight textiles rather than just vivid colorization. The garment consists of a tightly tailored, buttoned bodice with structured tabs at the hip, paired over an elaborate bustle skirt made of polka-dot fabric that cascades into sharp, accordion-pleated panels at the hem. A decorated bonnet tied beneath the chin and a folded fan held in her left hand complete the highly coordinated presentation.

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 Alsaican textile manufacturing into elite Parisian luxury.

Dimensions: H 13 5/16”  x 10” W

Condition: Tears and tidemarks on the right side. Tears on top and bottom also.