Florence

Design c. 1890, made 1890–1917

Cotton, twill weave with supplementary pile wefts forming cut solid 'velvet'; block printed

184.4 × 68.7 cm (72.6 × 27 in)

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Not currently on view

In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Rather than velvet, this upholstery fabric is velveteen, the distinction being that the pile for velveteen is made from supplementary wefts (horizontal fibers), rather than supplementary warps (vertical or longitudinal fibers). Velveteen, often made of cotton, has a less dense pile than velvet and usually is cheaper to produce. Printed designs on velveteen, such as this one, reflect modern efforts to imitate the luxurious sensation of velvet pile while offering consumers a more durable and less costly alternative.

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