Object Number 1958.2876 A

Object Name

Needlework picture (Mourning picture)

Category

Textiles

Credit Line/Donor

Bequest of Henry Francis du Pont

Creator (Role)

Catherine Butler (Maker)
1792
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.

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