Textile, Flower Fantasy

Arnold Blanch, the modernist realist painter who showed at the Krasner Gallery in New York and has work in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Whitney Museum, created numerous designs for Associated American Artists. In addition to three textiles, he designed imagery for ceramics as well as gelatone and sold lithograph prints for AAA.
In Flower Fantasy, stylized flowers and butterflies are scattered across a light blue ground. An illustrated preview of a dress designed by Filcol in this textile was highlighted in a Signature Fabrics advertisement in the December 29, 1952 issue of Women’s Wear Daily; the dress was released in January of 1953. Vogue Patterns also used Flower Fantasy for a dress that appeared in the January 1953 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. (1)
This design in another colorway is currently represented in the museum’s collection (1953-57-2). There are currently two additional examples of Blanch’s work in the collection: the Forest Patterns sidewall (1954-21-8) and designs included within a sample book from the Galleries of Associated American Artists, “Masterpiece Interiors” (1954-22-1-1/116).
(1) Karen J. Herbaugh, “Index of AAA Textile Designs,” in Art for Every Home: An Illustrated Index of Associated American Artists Prints, Ceramics, and Textile Designs (Manhattan: Marianna Kistler Beach Museum, Kansas State University, 2016), http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19686.

Textile, Flower Fantasy; Designed by Arnold D. Blanch (American, 1896-1968); Produced by Associated American Artists (United States); cotton; H x W: 185.6 × 90.2 cm (6 ft. 1 1/16 in. × 35 1/2 in.); American Textile History Museum Collection, museum purchase through gift of anonymous donor; 2016-35-17