Coiffures – le turban (1876-1888)

Auguste Racinet prints come from two of the most beautiful pattern and costume books of the 1800s. Racinet's L'Ornement polychrome gathered thousands of motifs from Egypt, Persia, China, Japan and Renaissance Europe, while Le Costume historique pictured dress from around the world in rich colour, gold and silver. Our collection of fine art prints includes ornament plates and costume plates from both books.

About Auguste Racinet

Albert-Charles-Auguste Racinet was born in Paris on 20 July 1825. He was trained by his father, the lithographer Charles-Auguste Racinet, and became a lithographer, illustrator, painter and historian of costume and ornament.

From 1869 to 1888 he worked for the Paris publisher Firmin-Didot as engraver and artistic director. L'Ornement polychrome appeared in 1869–73 with 100 plates holding about 2,000 motifs, and a second series of 120 plates followed in 1885–87.

His other great work, Le Costume historique, was issued from 1876 to 1888 with 500 plates, 300 of them in colour with gold and silver. Racinet died at Montfort-l'Amaury in October 1893.

Style and Subjects

Racinet's ornament plates are dense, glowing pages of pattern: tile roundels, borders, enamels, painted dishes and ceilings, arranged in neat grids and fans. The colours are strong and saturated, with turquoise, cobalt, crimson and gold.

The costume plates show figures in the dress of many places and times, often several to a page, with armour, jewellery, hairstyles and furniture drawn alongside. They were made as reference for artists and designers, so the detail is precise, but the effect is richly decorative.

Famous Works

• Persan 3 (L'Ornement polychrome) (1869–1873). Round tile and dish designs in turquoise, cobalt and white, with tulip and carnation borders.
• Renaissance 15 (L'Ornement polychrome) (1869–1873). Painted majolica dishes and enamels overlapping in a great fan of blue, green and gold.
• Moyen Âge 2 (L'Ornement polychrome) (1869–1873). Star and knot tile patterns in red, black, green and gold.
• XVIIIe siècle 13 (L'Ornement polychrome) (1869–1873). Garlands and ribbons in the Louis XVI taste.
• Japonais (L'Ornement polychrome) (1869–1873). Japanese patterns and motifs.
• Costumes féminins: Modes, Collerettes, Coiffures (Le Costume historique) (1876–1888). Ruffs, collars and hairstyles of around 1600.
• Costumes de guerre, de joute et de tournoi: les hauts cimiers (Le Costume historique) (1876–1888). Tall helmet crests for war and tournaments.
• Les modes à l'époque du Consulat (Le Costume historique) (1876–1888). Fashions of the Consulate around 1800.

Decorating with Racinet Prints

The ornament plates are made for rooms that love colour and pattern. Persian and Moorish tiles suit a kitchen, bathroom or dining room, while Renaissance and eighteenth-century designs add richness to a living room or hallway. A grid of four or six plates in thin gold frames looks like a page from a designer's sourcebook.

The costume plates suit a dressing room, bedroom or study, and they are a natural choice for anyone who works in fashion, theatre or design. Group plates by period or by country for a neat, themed wall.

FAQ

Who was Auguste Racinet?

Auguste Racinet (1825–1893) was a French lithographer, illustrator, painter and historian of costume and ornament, artistic director at the publisher Firmin-Didot.

What is L'Ornement polychrome?

Racinet's book of colour ornament from around the world, published in 1869–73 with 100 plates and about 2,000 motifs, plus a second series of 120 plates in 1885–87.

What is Le Costume historique?

His history of dress, issued from 1876 to 1888 with 500 plates, 300 of them in colour with gold and silver.

Where can I see Racinet's books?

The Bibliothèque nationale de France has scanned L'Ornement polychrome on Gallica, and all six volumes of Le Costume historique are on the Internet Archive. The Metropolitan Museum of Art also holds plates.

Why do some Racinet plates shine?

Many plates of Le Costume historique were printed in colour with gold and silver, which gives them a rich, jewel-like finish.

Related Artists

• Owen Jones: British author of The Grammar of Ornament
• Émile Prisse d'Avennes: French author of colour plates of Egyptian and Arab art
• Jules Bourgoin: French scholar of Islamic geometric ornament
• Maurice Pillard Verneuil: French Art Nouveau pattern designer