Needlework picture (Mourning picture)
Museum Object Number1958.2876 A |
Object Name
Needlework picture (Mourning picture)
Category
Textiles
Credit Line/Donor
Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont
Creator (Role)
Catherine Butler (Maker)
Creator Notes
Henry Butler, Jr., was born July 4, 1786, son of sea captain and Hartford merchant, Henry Butler (1765-1830) and Chloe Hinsdale Butler (1968-1824). Their daughter, Catherine Butler was born in 1792 and married Miles Beach Jr. (1789-Aug. 6, 1820) of Hartford, Connecticut on July 11, 1816. They lived in Augusta, Georgia when her husband passed away. After Miles' death, Catherine married a Mr. Cormick, and later a Mr. Paterson. Catherine and Mr. Paterson lived in Columbus, Ohio. Catherine's mourning pictures features a memorial scene commemorating her seafaring brother, Henry Butler, Jr., who died of yellow fever in Martinique. An 1806 Hartford newspaper was glued to the back of the picture. A group of pictures like this one, with the apparel and velvet foreground appliquéd in separate fabrics came from this region of Connecticut. It is likely that Catherine attended a local school. Similarities to other mourning pictures made at Mrs. Lydia Royse's (Royce) School can be found.
Date of Birth
1792
Place of Origin
Hartford, Connecticut, United States, North America
Origin Notes
at the school of Lydia Royse (1772-1832).See Notes
Date
1804-1806
Mark or Signature or Inscription or Label
1. Label; bottom edge of frame; "58.2876 B" (red paint)
2. Label; paper backing; "58.2876 A, B" (graphite)
Materials
Silk; Paint; Ink; Chenille; Velvet; Linen
Techniques
Embroidered, Painted, Appliqued
Construction Description
Hand-stitched, hand-painted
Dimensions (inches)
21.125 (L) , 20 (W)
Dimensions (centimeters)
53.658 (L) , 50.8 (W)
Measurement Notes
Dimensions refer to area of needlework visible within frame.
Object Description
Text available soon.
Bibliography and Bibliographic Notes
[Book] Swan, Susan Burrows. 1977 Plain & Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850.
• Published: p. 148, figure 77
[Book] Ring, Betty. 1993 Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850. I.
• Published: p. 217, fig. 252