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).
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artist
- Clarissa Emerson
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Title
- Sampler
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Place
- Massachusetts (Object made in)
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Date
- 1822–1823
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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
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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
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Dimensions
- 55.3 × 42 cm (21 3/4 × 16 1/2 in.)
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Credit Line
- James D. Tigerman Estate; Margaret W. and John V. Farwell III Endowment Fund; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Fund
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Reference Number
- 2011.668
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IIIF Manifest
- 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.
