About this artwork
The two figures in this sampler mourn the deaths of Hannah (Phipps) Smith (1763–1813) and her grandson William Smith Humphreys (1810–1811), the son of Catherine Smith Humphreys (1786–?) and George Humphreys, who married in Boston in 1804. It was made by an unidentified member of either the Smith or Humphreys families. The death of George Washington in 1799 gave rise to a number of mourning or memorial embroideries in honor of the first president. This led to the popularity of embroidered mourning or memorial works dedicated to departed family members, and they became a fashionable way to express grief and remembrance.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artist
- Smith Family
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Title
- Mourning Sampler
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Place
- Massachusetts (Object made in:)
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Date
- Made 1805–1825
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Medium
- Linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss in tent, cross, long and a mixture of stem, whip and couching stitches
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Inscriptions
- In memory of Mrs / Hannah Smith AE 50 / Nov 27 1813 / weep not ye near surviving friends / for all her pain and sorrows end / she soars ware joy celestial are / to reap an endless harvest there In memory of [1885 / william s Humphreys / Feb 24 AE 11 Months / In solemn silence let him lie / Nor dare disturb his rest / Till the archangel rends the sky / And wakes his sleeping dust
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Dimensions
- 50.2 × 53.7 cm (19 3/4 × 21 1/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Barbara Notz Hines Memorial Fund; Elizabeth M. Schultz Endowment
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Reference Number
- 2008.134
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/193391/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
