Description:
Raised work picture depicting "Charity" in a central cartouche, flanked by "Hope" (represented by her anchor) and "Faith" (by his cross). The embroidery, which survives in its original wooden frame, is a feast for sight and texture, with reflective and matt surfaces achieved through the embroidery materials, stitches, satin ground, and other materials (micah). Floral and fauna designs are embroidered throughout the satin gruond. Four large floral designs, one in each corner, were appliqued, after first being roughly drawn out onto the satin. These four designs themselves may have been created using a needlelace technique, before being appliqued. Pictures like this were often sold as kits to amateur embroiders. They were made by professional embroiderers such as John Nelham (d.1684). The scenes embroidered on pictures like this example, as well as mirrors, caskets and cushions were often taken from book illustrations not necessarily intended for embroidery. Many of the Biblical scenes, for instance, derive from Gerard de Jode's "Thesaurus Historiarum Veteris Testamenti" published in Antwerp in 1585. John Nelham (d.1684) and his father Roger (d.1654) were embroidery designers and members of the Broderer's Company of London who supplied materials as well as designs drawn out from the 1630s-1684. In 1654 Roger Nelham left in his will his principal bequests to his son John with "the halfe of my books and prints and patterns which I do use for the drawing of workes... all my beames and lathes and working instruments ... which do appertain and belong to my worke house" (the other half was bequeathed to his son Samuel who was evidently not yet of age). Although John Nelham's premises where burnt down in the Great Fire of London, 1666, he kept his sign when he moved to Old Bailey. John Nelham's name appears as a member of the Court of Assistants from 1679 until 1684 in the Court Books of the Broderer's Company. Like the embroidered picture at Blair Castle, this example is worked on satin with a couple in raised work within a raised work oval frame and spot motifs in the spandrels; needlework pictures with this design within an oval frame are sometimes referred to as in the style of Nelham. Made of silk raised work on white satin, the figures on this picture are executed in tent stitch on linen and applied to the background. Each figure or scene is presented on its own section of ground; the spaces between are filled with flowers, insects, and animals without consideration of scale.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Embroidery; polychrome; Silk Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+1248 |
