St. Lebbeus.
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 x 8 3/8in. (22.9 x 21.3cm)
Mount (height x width): 9 1/2 x 8 1/2in. (24.1 x 21.6cm)
Mount (height x width): 9 1/2 x 8 1/2in. (24.1 x 21.6cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Newton C. Brainard
DescriptionNeedlework picture worked in black, dark green, light and dark brown, beige or cream, yellow and pink 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. Lebbeus/ Whose Sirname was Thaddeus." 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 chair to the right of a trestle table; an inkstand with a feather quill and a piece of fruit (quince) sit on the table. The man wears a long back robe, or banyan, and holds a large book in his hands. The man is seated beneath a fruit tree; one short branch of the tree holds the man's tan wide-brimmed hat. To the right of the man is a grape vine with a small dog seated at its base.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn on the ground with red and black ink then embroidered in untwisted silk and S-spun single ply silk thread. 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 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 chair to the right of a trestle table; an inkstand with a feather quill and a piece of fruit (quince) sit on the table. The man wears a long back robe, or banyan, and holds a large book in his hands. The man is seated beneath a fruit tree; one short branch of the tree holds the man's tan wide-brimmed hat. To the right of the man is a grape vine with a small dog seated at its base.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn on the ground with red and black ink then embroidered in untwisted silk and S-spun single ply silk thread. 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 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.
Object number1962.28.3j
NotesSubject Note: Lebbeus Thaddeus, more commonly known as Jude, is listed in Matthew 10:2-4 as one of the twelve apostles. Jude's death is described in John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (written and published about 1560): "Jude. The brother of James [the Less], was commonly called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa, A.D. 72." Jude's attribute is a club, halberd or lance, according to the various accounts of his death. He may also be shown with a book, representing the book of Jude in the new testament, or carpenter's rule. (Source: James Hall, Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art.)
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).On View
Not on view
