St. Simon the Zealot.
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 3/8in. (23.5 x 21.3cm)
Mount (height x width): 9 1/2 x 8 1/2in. (24.1 x 21.6cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Newton C. Brainard
Object number1962.28.3k
DescriptionNeedlework picture worked in black, blue-grey, dark and medium brown, light blue, cream 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. Simon the Zealot./ He was Sawed in two Alive." 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 standing man wearing a long black robe, or banyan, while holding a very long saw. He is standing beneath a tree, to the right, which is sawed off at the top. To the left of the man are low bushes and flowers, including roses.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn in black 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, knot, feather 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 standing man wearing a long black robe, or banyan, while holding a very long saw. He is standing beneath a tree, to the right, which is sawed off at the top. To the left of the man are low bushes and flowers, including roses.
All four edges of the needlework are whip-stitched. The picture is hand-drawn in black 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, knot, feather 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.
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: Simon the Zealot is listed in Matthew 10:2-4 as one of the twelve apostles. Simon's death is described in John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (written and published about 1560): "Simon. Surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, in which latter country he was crucified, A.D. 74." Medieval legend states that he was martyred by being sawn in half; another legend tells that he was crucified. His attribute is a saw or a cross. (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
