Fatima

c. 1925–30

Fatima , c. 1925–30. Josef Frank (Swedish, born Austria, 1885–1967), Haus & Garten (Austrian, est. 1925). Plain weave cotton, loom width, block printed; overall: 76.8 x 137.8 cm (30 1/4 x 54 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund 1937.188 Inspired by English cotton chintz patterns, Josef Frank created several designs for cotton textiles used as clothing. Fatima was likely meant for summer evening gowns due to the cotton’s light weight. The design’s vibrant floral motifs in intricate arrangements would have made a fresh and fashionable impression without overemphasizing the pattern’s geometry. This pattern includes fourteen discernable types of flowers.