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Sampler

A work made of linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk in cross, satin, stem, long and short, chain, upright gobelin, oblique gobelin, and feather stitches; laid work and couching; painted.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk in cross, satin, stem, long and short, chain, upright gobelin, oblique gobelin, and feather stitches; laid work and couching; painted.

Date:

1822/23

Artist:

Clarissa Emerson (American, born 1808)
Lancaster, Massachusetts, United States

About this artwork

The careful planning and attention to detail of this sampler are apparent in the execution of the naturalistically rendered flowers and two figures in period dress. The underdrawing was prepared by a teacher, while the painted faces of the figures were either executed by the teacher or the maker. This is an excellent example of a piece that was executed under the direction of a private teacher or in an academy. Clarissa Emerson (1808–?) was the youngest of 12 children born to Elias (1759–1835) and Phebe Hayward Emerson (1768 [?]–1840), who were married in 1790 in Reading, Massachusetts. Elias served in the Revolutionary War, obtaining the rank of lieutenant, and he is descended from the 1636 Emerson settlers of Ipswich, Massachusetts. The verse is attributed to the hymn writer John Newton (1725–1807) or Isaac Watts (1674–1748).

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Clarissa Emerson

Title

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.

1822–1823

Medium

Linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk in cross, satin, stem, long and short, chain, upright Gobelin, oblique Gobelin, and feather stitches; laid work and couching; painted

Inscriptions

Lancaster / Massachusetts / Jesus Permit thy gracious name to stand / As the first efforts of an infants hand / And while her fingers over this canvass move / Engage her tender heart to seek thy love / Wrought by - / Clarissa Emerson / Aged 14

Dimensions

55.3 × 42 cm (21 3/4 × 16 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

James D. Tigerman Estate; Margaret W. and John V. Farwell III Endowment Fund; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Fund

Reference Number

2011.668

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.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/212401/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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