A Scene from the Tempest
EmbroidererEmbroidered by
Caroline Watrous
(American, 1797 - 1889)
Dateabout 1815
MediumEmbroidery; silk thread, chenille yarn, paint, metallic thread, a tassel, wire, and sequins on a plain-woven silk ground supported by a wooden stretcher
Frame: wood, glass, gold and black paint
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width of frame): 28 5/8 x 32 1/2in. (72.7 x 82.6cm)
Component (height x width of stretcher): 24 7/8 x 28 1/2in. (63.2 x 72.4cm)
Component (height x width of silk ground): 22 x 25 3/4in. (55.9 x 65.4cm)
Component (height x width of glass): 24 3/8 x 28 3/4in. (61.9 x 73cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineMuseum purchase.
Object number1986.157.0
DescriptionNeedlework picture consisting of light, medium an dark brown, cream, tan, dark, medium, light green and blue-green silk threads, medium and dark brown, red, and green chenille yarn, metallic thread, a tassel, wire, and sequins on a plain-woven silk ground with a hand-painted background; the picture is labeled "CAROLINE WATROUS. A SCENE FROM THE TEMPEST." in gold paint in a black border around the edges of the glass. The picture shows a older man and young woman looking at a man on a beach in the distance. The older man has grey hair and beard, and wears a long robe. He holds a scroll in his left hand, and a long stick in his right that is pointed toward the man on the beach. The woman has a white shawl and cream-colored dress; her right hand rests on the older man while her left extends out toward the man on the beach. In the left foreground is a second scroll; a table lies on the ground. In the left background is a cave or structure with a door; the door is open revealing a shadowy, dark figure of a man carrying wood logs and sticks. To the right, in the middle distance on the beach, is a man wearing a turban and robe. His left hand points up to the clouds which contain the head and torso of a figure playing a lyre.
Strips of plain-woven linen are whip-stitched to each side of the silk ground. These are nailed at regular intervals to the wooden stretcher that forms the support for the needlework. The stretcher is constructed with nailed lap joints at each of the four corners.
The needlework and stretcher are separated from the glass, frame and backing (all original) that form the remainder of the needlework picture. The glass is painted in gold and black to form a border, title and signature for the needlework. The gilded wooden frame consists of deeply curved cove molding with a rope twist band applied inside. The backing (now encased in plastic) consists of a New York newspaper.
Stitches: The primary stitch on the needlework picture is satin stitch; it also includes encroaching satin, long and short, and couching.
Condition: The needlework and stretcher are separated from the frame; the glass and backing are removed from the frame. The silk ground has shattered in several places, most notably in the foreground and elsewhere where the painted and stitched areas of the picture meet. The thread and yarn is discolored. The newspaper is fragile and yellowed.
NotesSubject: The needlework picture, titled "A Scene from the Tempest" shows five characters in Act I, Scene ii of Shakespeare's play (written between 1610 and 1611, published in 1623). The older man standing on the shore is Prospero, the former Duke of Milan. The young woman to his left is his fifteen-year-old daughter Miranda. They escaped to the island about twelve years previously, when his brother Alonso usurped his position. Prospero has spent the intervening years refining his magical skills with the assistance of his books and a spirit Ariel, seen in the needlework picture playing a lyre and hovering above the ocean. Previously, Prospero released Ariel from the imprisonment of the now-deceased witch Sycorax. Sycorax's son, Caliban, also resides on the island and is Prospero's servant; he is the shadowy figure on the left side of the needlework picture. The figure on the beach is Alonso's son, Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples, who has just survived a shipwreck caused by a storm conjured by Prospero. Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love with each other at first sight; Ferdinand becomes Prospero's servant in order to win his approval. (Hunt 8/28/2007)Strips of plain-woven linen are whip-stitched to each side of the silk ground. These are nailed at regular intervals to the wooden stretcher that forms the support for the needlework. The stretcher is constructed with nailed lap joints at each of the four corners.
The needlework and stretcher are separated from the glass, frame and backing (all original) that form the remainder of the needlework picture. The glass is painted in gold and black to form a border, title and signature for the needlework. The gilded wooden frame consists of deeply curved cove molding with a rope twist band applied inside. The backing (now encased in plastic) consists of a New York newspaper.
Stitches: The primary stitch on the needlework picture is satin stitch; it also includes encroaching satin, long and short, and couching.
Condition: The needlework and stretcher are separated from the frame; the glass and backing are removed from the frame. The silk ground has shattered in several places, most notably in the foreground and elsewhere where the painted and stitched areas of the picture meet. The thread and yarn is discolored. The newspaper is fragile and yellowed.
Status
Not on view
