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Vanessa Bell Silk Scarf

$85.00

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This SCMA custom-printed scarf is based on a design by Vanessa Bell (1879-1961). Created for Furnishing Fabric around 1946, the original piece was done in oil and graphite on medium weight, slightly textured, cream colored paper.

Swirling, colorful flourishes create this dynamic fabric design. Bell was inspired by the Post-Impressionists throughout her career and the bold colors and strong brushstrokes of this design reflect this influence. While Bell was creating fabric designs she was also experimenting with geometric abstraction in her paintings on canvas. The gridded paper on which Bell painted her fabric designs, which can be seen here peeking through the paint, mirrors the geometry of her abstract paintings. by Harper Davenport ’21, Cunningham Center Student Assistant (2019-2020)

100% pure silk
approximately 60 inches long by 20 inches wide

Price: $85.00

Member price: $76.50

This silk textile has been reproduced by SCMA to acknowledge Janice Carlson Oresman, class of 1955, and her long standing support, advocacy and generosity.

Janice is known for her passion for contemporary printmaking. She has enriched the SCMA works on paper collection by supporting 233 acquisitions over the past 40 years through gifts from her own collection and by establishing an endowed purchase fund for the museum. An ardent supporter of SCMA and Smith College, she has served on both the Board of Trustees and the Museum Visiting Committee.