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Mourning Sampler

A work made of linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss in tent, cross, long and a mixture of stem, whip and couching stitches.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss in tent, cross, long and a mixture of stem, whip and couching stitches.

Date:

c. 1815

Artist:

Made by the Smith and Humphreys Families
Miss Field’s School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Smith Family

Title

Mourning Sampler

Place

Massachusetts (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1805–1825

Medium

Linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss in tent, cross, long and a mixture of stem, whip and couching stitches

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

Dimensions

50.2 × 53.7 cm (19 3/4 × 21 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Barbara Notz Hines Memorial Fund; Elizabeth M. Schultz Endowment

Reference Number

2008.134

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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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.

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