Silk Designs of the Eighteenth Century: From the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The designs of 18th-century woven silk in England and France exemplified skills acquired over two millennia: in their range and quality, they have perhaps never been excelled. The artists who supplied their patterns were well known in their day but, by the 20th century, they had been completely forgotten. Yet through their work, and that of the weavers, commercial productions intended for ladies' dresses were transformed into works of art.