Fischbach Frederick (2 results)

Folio. (17 3/8 x 12 3/4 inches). 9, [1] pp. illustrated with 160 chromolithographed plates printed on textured paper. Title page lightly foxed. Contemporary half black morocco and blue cloth, spine lettered gilt English edition of the German Ornamente der Gewebe, presenting a sumptuous portfolio of textile ornamentation across cultures and centuries. This large-format work was an ambitious 19th-century effort to document and disseminate global textile design, part of a broader trend in the Decorative Arts to historicize and internationalize industrial design through lavishly produced pattern books. Friedrich Fischbach, a highly influential German textile designer and historian, received his education at the Berlin Academy of Industrial Design and became a leading figure in the revival and reform of textile arts in Europe. He taught ornamentation at the Royal Academy in Hanau from 1870, and from 1883 to 1888 served as director of the newly founded Industrial Art School in Saint Gall, Switzerland, a major hub of textile manufacturing. Throughout his career, Fischbach helped establish societies and institutions dedicated to the advancement of industrial art, believing that design rooted in historical precedent could revitalize contemporary production. His pattern books circulated widely and were used both in industry and art education, influencing generations of designers and manufacturers. Ornament of Textile Fabrics is among his most significant contributions to the documentation of historic textile motifs. Drawing from weaving and embroidery traditions of Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Ancient Egypt, Byzantium, and Peru. Fischbach's work does more than simply reproduce patterns, it traces their evolution and migration across cultures. In this, his project aligns with 19th-century interests in comparative ornament, as exemplified by Owen Jones' Grammar of Ornament. The plates, printed on textured paper meant to emulate woven cloth, enhance the viewer's tactile and visual experience. Each plate presents highly detailed reproductions (some to-scale) of historical fabric designs, rendered with the precision and richness enabled by chromolithography, then at the height of its popularity and technical sophistication. The motifs include vegetal arabesques, intricate damask repeats, geometric patterns, and emblematic figures, many taken from ecclesiastical vestments, courtly tapestries, and ceremonial garments.

FISCHBACH, Frederick. ORNAMENT OF TEXTILE FABRICS. London: Bernard Quaritch, (1884). Large folio (17 1/2 x 14 inches). Quarter-morocco, marbled boards. 9 pages, 160 chromolighographic plates. Fir English edition. Fischbach's monograph concentrates on fifteenth to eighteenth century pattern tapestry, damask and brocade designs from France, Italy, and Germany. Minor cover wear.