Needlework Picture
EmbroidererAttributed to a member of the
Fox Family
PainterProbably painted by
Anne Fox
After a work byAfter a work by
Gerard de Jode
(Dutch, 1509 - 1591)
Date1661
MediumHand-stitched embroidery; silk thread, metallic thread, chenille yarn, seashells, mica, beads, and seed pearls on satin-woven silk
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 19 x 23 3/8in. (48.3 x 59.4cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Dr. Timothy P. Beers
Object number1845.30.0
DescriptionNeedlework picture worked in dark brown, medium brown, blue, green and cream silk thread, chenille yarn, wire and metallic threads, shells, mica, beads, pearls, and paint on a cream-colored satin-woven silk ground. The picture is embroidered using a raised work technique, consisting of a raised and padded design. The embroidery uses chain stitch, satin stitch and other stitches.
The needlework picture is rectangular, oriented horizontally. It depicts a man holding a spear next to a woman wearing a pearl necklace; both are wearing seventeenth century costume. Between the man and the woman is a bird on a tree branch above a small vase. To the right of the woman is a second woman also wearing a pearl necklace. To the left of the man is a second man standing beneath an oak tree. In the foreground is a small grotto and pond containing at least two fish. To the left of the pond is a lion; to the right of the pond is a unicorn. In the top background are two tents, a sun, and a castle with mica windows; each of these is located below a blue sky. The background of the needlework picture is filled in with flowers, trees, birds and insects. The design is highlighted with colored paint (an eighteenth century addition): the turquoise blue of the sky at the top; the bright pink of the central man's cloak and the central woman's dress.
The needlework picture is constructed of hand-stitched figures that are applied over wool padding to the silk ground. The ground shown in the design is formed with chenille yarn. Additional embellishments include metallic thread, wire coils, mica, and shells. The ground is whip-stitched to linen that is joined to a wooden backing. The needlework picture is behind glass (replaced) inside a wooden frame (later addition).
Stitches: The sampler includes the following stitches: chain, satin, couching, boullion, buttonhole, tent, and whip.
Condition: The ground has been repaired using darning stitches. Some mica has broken off of the pond. The wool stuffing is exposed on the unicorn. The glass and frame are replaced; the embroidery has been cleaned. The back board is screwed into the frame.
NotesSubject Note: The embroidery depicts the story of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as told in 1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9. According to these texts, when the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She was satisfied with his answers, and gave him gold, spices, wood, and precious stones as gifts. According to 2 Chronicles 9:12 "King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country." Images depicting Queen Esther and King Xerxes (Ahaserus) are often very similar to those of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.The needlework picture is rectangular, oriented horizontally. It depicts a man holding a spear next to a woman wearing a pearl necklace; both are wearing seventeenth century costume. Between the man and the woman is a bird on a tree branch above a small vase. To the right of the woman is a second woman also wearing a pearl necklace. To the left of the man is a second man standing beneath an oak tree. In the foreground is a small grotto and pond containing at least two fish. To the left of the pond is a lion; to the right of the pond is a unicorn. In the top background are two tents, a sun, and a castle with mica windows; each of these is located below a blue sky. The background of the needlework picture is filled in with flowers, trees, birds and insects. The design is highlighted with colored paint (an eighteenth century addition): the turquoise blue of the sky at the top; the bright pink of the central man's cloak and the central woman's dress.
The needlework picture is constructed of hand-stitched figures that are applied over wool padding to the silk ground. The ground shown in the design is formed with chenille yarn. Additional embellishments include metallic thread, wire coils, mica, and shells. The ground is whip-stitched to linen that is joined to a wooden backing. The needlework picture is behind glass (replaced) inside a wooden frame (later addition).
Stitches: The sampler includes the following stitches: chain, satin, couching, boullion, buttonhole, tent, and whip.
Condition: The ground has been repaired using darning stitches. Some mica has broken off of the pond. The wool stuffing is exposed on the unicorn. The glass and frame are replaced; the embroidery has been cleaned. The back board is screwed into the frame.
Source Note: According to Ann Rosalind Jones, author of a seminar paper titled "Needle, Scepter, Sovereignty: The Queen of Sheba in Englishwomen's Amateur Needlework," the design source for seventeenth century embroidered images of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is an engraving titled "Reception of the Queen of Sheba" by Gerard de Jode, published in Thesaurus Sacrarum Historiarum Veteris Testamenti (Antwerp, 1585).
Status
Not on view
