Description:
Needlework picture embroidered in silk and wool on a plain linen ground backed with linen (see HD 2027.1 for the leather backing removed during conservation). "Fishing Lady" needlework was a term coined in the 1920s for a group of needlework most probably worked in Boston during the mid 18th century that shared similar characteristics including the depiction of flirtatious gathering of couples involved in various activities such as fishing and set in abundant landscapes. This example depicts a young man standing beside the Fishing Lady flanked by tall tree; a basket, dog, fish, bird, rabbit, hare, flowers, and scrubs in the foreground; and a line of small buildings and a large windmill-like structure in the background. The embroidery (tent stitch and cross stitch) is fairly dense, at 27 stitches per inch. An unidentified material is used to accent areas of the composition (peacok and butterfly) - possibly hair, feather, or quill. An extensive amount of shading is used, for example as much as seven shades of red create the woman's dress. The framed needlework, which has rounded upper corners, has been mounted on a firescreen base (HD 2058) to create a firescreen. Firescreens like this communucated a girl or woman's needlework accomplishment, the money that may have been involved to teach that skill, and the possession by the family of this form of furniture, to shield the face from ay direct heat of the fireplace.
Tags:
fishing Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2027 |
