Picture, Needlework
- Title:
- Untitled
- Object Name:
- Picture, Needlework
- Object ID:
- 1999.023.02
- Creator:
- Hale, Lydia (1803-1877)
- Place of Origin:
- Dorchester, MA
- Date:
- 1812-1820
- Description:
- Needlework Picture. Mourning picture for Rachel Rollins (1785-1812), Made by Lydia Hale (1803-1877), Dover, NH; silk embroidery, watercolor, and gouache on silk, after 1812. The picture features a woman in classical garb draped in a brown shawl, seated on the steps of a memorial topped by an urn. The base of the urn is inscribed in script letters, "RR," and in the section below that is inked, "IN MEMORY / of / Miss RACHEL ROLLINS / who died Novr 28th 1812 agd 27 / Eas'd of its load thy gentle spirit roved / Thro' relms [sic] refulgent and celestial groves." A weeping willow tree dominates the right side of the scene, while a landscape with another tree is on the left. A brook flows by in the foreground. The landscape, trees, sky, brook, and figure's face and hands are painted. All else is embroidered in silk floss in shades of gold, brown, and black, with a little green in the ground area. The leaves of the trees are also embroidered, but then painted over. The cream silk foundation of this work is laid on plain-weave linen; the embroidery is worked through both layers and tacked to a wooden stretcher. Black and gold painted border eglomise border painted on reverse of glass. "Wrought by Lydia Hale, at Mrs Saunders and Miss Beach's Academy Dorchester." painted in gold script along bottom. Gilded gesso over wood frame with deep cove, twisted rope and interior leaf molding.
- Material:
- Textile
Silk
Paper - Dimensions:
- H-14.6 W-18.5 inches
- Provenance:
- Lydia Hale (1803-1877) of Dover, NH, was the daughter William and Lydia (Rollins) Hale. Mrs. Judith Foster Saunders and Miss Clementina Beach ran an academy for young ladies, Dorchester, MA, 1803-1834 and later. From the home of James C. and Mary Pepperrell (Frost) Sawyer (mother of Charles H. Sawyer), related to the Frost, Sawyer, and Cowan families of Durham and Dover.
- Credit Line:
- Gift of Charles H. and Katharine Clay Sawyer
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