SCHMITT, HELENE: - Stickereien (Embroideries). Entwürfe von Helen Schmitt. Auf Stein gezeichnet von der Verfasserin. Parts I-III (all published). Basel, Wassermann & Schäublin & Dresden, In Kommission bei der Verlagshandlung Wilhelm Baensch, 1906-7.

. Large folio (41 x 52 cm). Comprises twenty-four beautiful coloured lithographed plates (one double-page) printed on strong cardboard of different colours, some highlighted in gold. Together with one leaf of foreword and three leaves with explanatory text and photographic illustrations. As issued in loose sheets in original illustrated stiff wrappers, with some wear and neat restorations. Housed in specially made cloth portfolio by Atelier Devauchelle in Paris. First and only edition, self-published by the artist. We assume in a very small number.A gorgeous Art Nouveau work with decorative ornamental designs for embroidery but could also be used for other techniques; wood painting and carving, book covers, furnitures, curtains, clothes, etc. Helene Schmitt was a teacher of embroidery at the Frauenarbeitsschule in Basel. Some of her works were exhibited at the Basel Trade Exhibition of 1901. According to Schmitt's foreword: "The designs for embroidery, which are available here in lithographic form, are a selection from the drawings that I designed as head of the class for coloured embroidery at the Woman's Work School in Basel over the past 5 years. Part of the work was exhibited at the Basel Trade Exhibition from 1901 for the first time. Since then I have mostly reworked the designs and now publish them in this new form ... The patterns were created for the needs of my pupils and were implemented in the school itself. Our school is not a technical school and the embroidery courses are attended by the schoolchildren for a longer or shorter period according to their wish. One will therefore find among these sheets, in addition to technically very simple works, also more complicated ones; however, the technical requirements never exceed the level of what can be acquired in a similarly organized school. I know that the artistic appeal of such women's work does not just depend on the template, but essentially also on how much taste and care is put into the technical part of the work. Unfortunately, very little of these intentions can be seen in the lithographic plates. Photographic illustrations have therefore been added to the brief explanations of the text sheets. They should show the effect of the whole and clarify the technical treatment. In addition, the text about the technique and the material will provide the necessary information ... The drawings should also have some value for non-embroiderers who know what is important using a pattern. Most are easy to implement in a different technique; some of the borders are suitable for wood painting ... "A wonderful work in genuine Art Nouveau style. A few plates with small crease at corners but overall a very good set. Very rare in the market.

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