Needlework picture (Crewelwork picture)

Description

This is a needlework picture worked in 1785 by Elizabeth Taylor of Chester County, Pennsylvania. She was 14 years old when she worked this and another piece in Winterthur's collection, but it is not known what school she attended. This picture is also part of a related group of crewel embroidered pictures from Chester County. Elizabeth puts her own initials on this piece, which is a rare example of Jacobean crewelwork, richly done with solidly worked areas. It is not clear who the other initials are for, but they were probably those of her teachers or other students. This piece has been cut, with the edges safely tucked under the frame. It is difficult to tell if it was once part of a quilt or costume, or if it had been intended initially to be a framed picture.