The Matador Collection: 100% Silk Scarf in Cognac

The Matador Collection

The Matador Collection draws inspiration from a rare nineteenth-century bullring oil painting by French-born equestrian artist Alfred Frank de Prades (1825–1885), an artist closely connected to British royalty. Featuring a picador on horseback, matadors, spectators, and the drama of the Spanish arena, the painting is preserved in the collection of the Mayflower Descendants Museum, founded by Cherie Behrens, founder and creative director of American Tapestry. Swipe to see the painting.

Meet the New American Art Museum Bringing History into Public View Through Art and Artifacts

The Mayflower Descendants Museum is an American art museum whose holdings bring together a wide range of artists and stories—from talented and emerging artists, some of whom may not yet have been represented in museum collections, to artists whose work was overlooked or little known during their lifetimes, to artists represented in some of the world’s most significant institutional and royal collections.

In the latter category, artists represented in the Museum’s collection can also be found in institutions including the Louvre in Paris; the British Royal Collection; the Victoria and Albert Museum; the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Picture Gallery in Stratford-upon-Avon; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Smithsonian; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.

The Museum’s holdings also include works that have never before been on public view, created by both American and international artists whose art, objects, and stories intersect with the broader American story connected to Mayflower descendants—a diverse global population estimated to number more than 35 million.

About Alfred Frank de Prades — An Artist to Royalty

Alfred Frank de Prades built his career in Victorian Britain, becoming known for equestrian, sporting, military, and historical subjects. His paintings appealed to Britain’s aristocratic sporting world, and he exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists—now known as the Royal Society of British Artists—and other major British institutions.

King Edward VII and Alfred de Prades

Among his most distinguished patrons was King Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria and great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.

De Prades was commissioned to paint Fairplay, the celebrated racehorse of the then-Prince of Wales. Fairplay won the Household Brigade Cup at Sandown and the Kempton Royal Steeplechase in 1882. A contemporary description of Marlborough House, the Prince’s London residence, recorded de Prades’s portrait of Fairplay hanging prominently above a mantelpiece—a placement that underscores its significance within one of Victorian Britain’s most influential social circles.

After Edward VII ascended the throne, Fairplay’s portrait continued its royal journey. It was recorded hanging in Buckingham Palace, the King’s London residence, in 1909, demonstrating the painting’s continued prominence within the royal household.

Where to See Other de Prades Paintings

Today, works by Alfred Frank de Prades are represented primarily in major British and European collections, including the Royal Collection, the National Army Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. His paintings are known for their precision, movement, and dramatic composition, particularly in the equestrian and sporting subjects that appealed to Victorian Britain’s aristocratic circles.

Why this c. 1869–1875 de Prades Painting is Rare

The Picador and Matador brings another dimension of de Prades’s equestrian painting into public view. In our founder’s research to date, only one other bullfighting work by de Prades has been identified, a watercolor, although more may be undocumented in private collections. By contrast, the larger body of his documented work focused primarily on equestrian, sporting, military, and portrait subjects. This bullring scene therefore appears to represent a rare departure, offering a glimpse of the versatility and technical skill that helped earn de Prades the attention of King Edward VII and other prominent patrons.

The Only Known de Prades Painting in a U.S. Museum Collection

To date, research conducted by our founder has not identified another de Prades painting held in a United States museum collection. The Mayflower Descendants Museum therefore appears to be the only museum in the country where American audiences can encounter an original work by Alfred Frank de Prades.

The Connection to the American Story

The movement, horsemanship, ceremony, color, and spectacle captured in the painting became the visual foundation of The Matador Collection. Through the Museum’s research, our founder identified several connections between this nineteenth-century French painting and American individuals and narratives represented in the Museum’s holdings. Those connections are explored further through the Museum.

About American Tapestry
American Tapestry, founded by Cherie Behrens, is a heritage-driven lifestyle house inspired by historic art and artifacts connected to the American story—often more than a century old—translated into handbags, travel accessories, home décor, jewelry, glassware, games, furniture, textiles, and more. Every design is created by Cherie Behrens and draws inspiration exclusively from works and objects held by the Mayflower Descendants Museum, which she also founded. 

American Tapestry follows the unexpected threads that connect the Museum’s holdings to American art, artifacts, literature, and cultural history. Not every work that inspires a collection was created by an American artist; some enter the American story through research that reveals their ties to American people, objects, and narratives.

To discover the threads behind each collection, visit the Museum at www.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org

Through these holdings, we trace the stitches of America’s past—uncovering connections among people, places, objects, art, literature, and history that together reveal an interwoven American tapestry.

Our mission is simple: to bring historic art, design, artifacts, and the stories that intersect with them forward into the present and into everyday life—bringing often‑invisible history into view.

Connect with American Tapestry

Website: www.thehouseofamericantapestry.com
Instagram: @americantapestryofficial
Facebook: American Tapestry
YouTube: @thehouseofamericantapestry
TikTok: @americantapestry
X: @americantapestr

Connect with the Mayflower Descendants Museum
Website: www.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org
Instagram: @mayflowerdescendantsmuseum
Facebook: Mayflower Descendants Museum
YouTube: @mayflowerdescendantsmuseum
TikTok: @mayflowermuseum
X: @MayflowerMuseum

Product Information

Crafted from luxurious 12-momme silk charmeuse, the scarf has a beautifully fluid drape and a smooth, luminous finish, with a lustrous face and soft matte reverse. The silk is breathable and exceptionally soft against the skin. Each scarf is digitally printed using permanent reactive inks for rich, lasting color and finished with a delicate machine-rolled baby hem.

• 100% 12-momme silk charmeuse
• Printed, cut, and sewn in Montreal, Canada
• Digitally printed with permanent reactive inks for rich, vivid color
• Lustrous face with a soft matte reverse
• Fluid, elegant drape
• Delicate machine-rolled baby hem

Care: Machine wash in cold water with ¼ cup vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Use a full-water cycle; do not use an eco cycle. Machine dry on delicate or hang to dry. Iron on the silk setting. Do not bleach. Can be dry cleaned.