St. Matthew the Evangelist
EmbroidererAttributed to
Prudence Punderson
(American, 1758 - 1784)
Date1776-1780
MediumEmbroidery; silk thread, floss and ink on a plain-woven silk ground
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width of ground): 9 1/4 x 8 1/4in. (23.5 x 21cm)
Mount (height x width): 9 1/2 x 8 1/2in. (24.1 x 21.6cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Newton C. Brainard
Object number1962.28.3h
DescriptionNeedlework picture worked in black, light and dark brown, green, grey, yellow, cream and red silk threads on a plain-woven gold silk ground, using a surface satin stitch and other stitches. At the bottom is a hand-written inscription in black ink: "St. Matthew the Evangelist/ Was Slain in Ethiopia with an Halbert." This is one of a group of twelve silk needlework pictures; each depicts an apostle and has an ink inscription at the bottom with the name of the apostle and a description of their death.
The needlework picture is rectangular, oriented vertically. It shows a man seated on a bench and leaning upon a trestle table carrying an inkstand with two feather quills. The man wears a long black robe, or banyan, and carries a folded sheet of paper, or book, with writing. The man is seated between two trees. A halberd, or long spear with an axe blade at the end, is propped up against the left tree. A small grey squirrel sits in the right tree. A dog with a collar stands at the right edge of the picture.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn on the ground with black and red ink then embroidered in untwisted silk and floss. The ground has 112 yarns per inch in the warp and 80 yarns per inch in the weft.
Stitches: The principal stitch is the surface satin stitch; it also includes satin, stem and some free-form stitches.
Condition: There are three holes in the right edge of the ground. The left tree is matted and lightly stained along the left edge. The lower left corner has split and been repaired. A small area of the top right corner of the ground is missing. There is some fading to the ground and embroidery. The needlework picture has been cleaned gently then stitched to a plain-woven cotton support fabric applied to a rigid mount. The picture is not framed.
The needlework picture is rectangular, oriented vertically. It shows a man seated on a bench and leaning upon a trestle table carrying an inkstand with two feather quills. The man wears a long black robe, or banyan, and carries a folded sheet of paper, or book, with writing. The man is seated between two trees. A halberd, or long spear with an axe blade at the end, is propped up against the left tree. A small grey squirrel sits in the right tree. A dog with a collar stands at the right edge of the picture.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn on the ground with black and red ink then embroidered in untwisted silk and floss. The ground has 112 yarns per inch in the warp and 80 yarns per inch in the weft.
Stitches: The principal stitch is the surface satin stitch; it also includes satin, stem and some free-form stitches.
Condition: There are three holes in the right edge of the ground. The left tree is matted and lightly stained along the left edge. The lower left corner has split and been repaired. A small area of the top right corner of the ground is missing. There is some fading to the ground and embroidery. The needlework picture has been cleaned gently then stitched to a plain-woven cotton support fabric applied to a rigid mount. The picture is not framed.
Label TextThe subject matter of this series is unique in early American needlework.
Each picture depicts one of the twelve Christian apostles, accompanied
by one or more of his traditional symbols and a caption describing
his manner of death. These grim captions contrast starkly with the
pleasant landscapes, bright flowers, and engaging animals that evoke
a Garden of Eden. The subject matter likely relates to the Punderson
family’s adherence to the Church of England, an unpopular choice in
overwhelmingly Congregational colonial Connecticut.
The stitches are executed with great precision and ingenuity on fine silk,
and convey muscles, drapery, feathers, wood grain, and wool. The facial
expressions are more individualized than was generally attempted or
achieved in early American embroidery.
NotesSubject Note: Matthew, also known as Matthew the Evangelist or Matthew the Tax Collector, is listed in Matthew 10:2-4 as one of the twelve apostles. Matthew's death is described in John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (written and published about 1560): "Matthew. Whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer, was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less. The scene of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city of Nadabah, A.D. 60." He is frequently depicted with writing implements to recognize his authorship of the first gospel. He can also be depicted with a halberd, the instrument of his martyrdom. (Source: James Hall, Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art)Each picture depicts one of the twelve Christian apostles, accompanied
by one or more of his traditional symbols and a caption describing
his manner of death. These grim captions contrast starkly with the
pleasant landscapes, bright flowers, and engaging animals that evoke
a Garden of Eden. The subject matter likely relates to the Punderson
family’s adherence to the Church of England, an unpopular choice in
overwhelmingly Congregational colonial Connecticut.
The stitches are executed with great precision and ingenuity on fine silk,
and convey muscles, drapery, feathers, wood grain, and wool. The facial
expressions are more individualized than was generally attempted or
achieved in early American embroidery.
Source Note: Some elements of the needlework pictures of the Twelve Apostles (1962.28.3a-l) are taken from The Artist's Vade Mecum (published in London, 1776).
Status
Not on view
