Mary Brooks lecture notes
The second lecture of the evening was by Mary M. Brooks on the practice of embroidery, inspiration for the pictures, and underlying structure. Though not specifically mentioned, I wonder if it was a prelude to her upcoming book Textiles Revealed
(UPDATE: Textiles Revealed is already out, and Changing Views of Textiles Conservation is due out in 5/11 that she's an editor on. Talk was likely not related to a book, but just on current research.)
Mary M. Brooks. author of the Ashmoleon Handbooks English Embroideries book, and textile conservator at the Textile Conservation Center, and
Director, MA International Cultural Heritage Management
Cultural Heritage, Museums & Conservation, Department of Archaeology, Durham University.
“In needle works there doth great knowledge rest”
Three different themes; pictorial embroideries, women making them compare embroidery to reading.
Emanuel Ford, 1607- Ornatus and Artesia, “took out her sampler, where in she took most delight”, “couldn’t calm mind with reading, calmed mind with embroidering.”
Hannah Smith’s casket- reading and needlework as complimentary
1596- “women can’t understand science, etc. but have their own study in head and hand.” and quote in title.
Lady Margaret Hoby kept a journal of her days from 1570-1633
10/1/1559- “After privat praier I wrought a whill and hard Mr. Rhodes read”
11/28/1559- “to work and hard readinge of the bible”
12/10/1559- “wrought after dinner, I talked a whill and then wrought and hard Mr. Maude (?) a sermon”
Ladies did read, but often did work on embroidery while listening to others as well.
Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676), The Great Picture 1646 portrait
Ruler of a great estate in Northern England, reading and needlework both big part of life, under her hands in the portrait are skeins of silk, needle holder, and book on embroidered item. She mentioned in text having “finished Irish work”
Any correlation between reading topics and embroidered pictures? Yes.
“The Excellent Woman” 1692 frontispiece Theophilius Dorrington
Mostly embroidered in private chambers- read in private when working
Lady Mary Wroth 1621, The Countess of Montgomeries
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, reading around fire railed against domestic arts
Gervasius Fabricius, 1613, Album Amicorum- women stitching and being attended by servants while in a lovely garden
The Needles Excellency frontispiece shows the garden as nature controlled
The Life of Mrs. Lucy Hutchinson, written by herself 1664-1671
“and for my needle I absolutely hated it”
Embroidery attributed to her 1635-1655 Bromley Phelan
Box, pre-1665, possibly by Miss Bluitt wrought at Hackney School
Girls’ school room, c.1700, were not taught school subjects, but polish manners
Memoirs of Vernley Family, Zootomia, “Fiddle faddles of the needle...” as soon as able to read
Susanna Perwich was perfectly skilled, John Batchiler “The Virgin’s Pattern” 1661
Comparing embroidered boxes with garden plans, show similar symmetry, control over environment
John Taylor on Wilton house w/ garden with walks and arbors
John Evelyn- passionate and obsessive garden, at a turbulent time in history the garden was a controllable paradise.
1681, Andrew Marvell, The Garden
Charity in a landscape, showing a detail of a fish comprised of oes and zig zag design on background- the waterspout can be easily seen in radiograph.
Though topics may be from biblical or classical times, the details in the embroideries are familiar and contemporary to the worker. Landscapes from embroideries, paintings and drawings share a common language and common landscape; gabled ends on houses, chimneys, tile roof, watermills
Venus fountain in Bolover Castle is similar to fountain in embroidery. Grotto comparisons are also similar, when compared to a picture of a grotto in Enstone Marvells
Extreme radiography brings out the structure of the embroidered panels
Metals and pearls show up easily in radiographs
-bundles under face to build up facial structure, possibly wood for the nose.
-mermaid has padded out areas for the belly breasts and face, built up arms of looser threads
Jael- softer bundles for shaping, wire of veil is distinct, a belly button seems to be shown even beneath garments
Possible under layers: layers of canvas for the face, wood for nose? Hammer handle, pearls and metal threads in skirts.
Ashmolean, Sacrifice of Isaac was x-rayed and the radiograph shows repairs with screws, adhesives, boarding of chest, 1673 (?) wrought in pearls, wooden hand, even a hand behind Isaac’s head almost 3D, anchored with pins. Wires and pins in wings and tail, two eyes are used even when one is hidden by profile, in one an actual bird’s beak was used for a bird. Some feathers and one beak have show up in the few radiographed to date do prove skeletal insertion.
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, “The Great Picture” 1646 shows what could be ‘twisted sisters’ a card with threads and silks wrapped around similar to those in a display of needlework tools in Hartford CT.
(UPDATE: Textiles Revealed is already out, and Changing Views of Textiles Conservation is due out in 5/11 that she's an editor on. Talk was likely not related to a book, but just on current research.)
Mary M. Brooks. author of the Ashmoleon Handbooks English Embroideries book, and textile conservator at the Textile Conservation Center, and
Director, MA International Cultural Heritage Management
Cultural Heritage, Museums & Conservation, Department of Archaeology, Durham University.
“In needle works there doth great knowledge rest”
Three different themes; pictorial embroideries, women making them compare embroidery to reading.
Emanuel Ford, 1607- Ornatus and Artesia, “took out her sampler, where in she took most delight”, “couldn’t calm mind with reading, calmed mind with embroidering.”
Hannah Smith’s casket- reading and needlework as complimentary
1596- “women can’t understand science, etc. but have their own study in head and hand.” and quote in title.
Lady Margaret Hoby kept a journal of her days from 1570-1633
10/1/1559- “After privat praier I wrought a whill and hard Mr. Rhodes read”
11/28/1559- “to work and hard readinge of the bible”
12/10/1559- “wrought after dinner, I talked a whill and then wrought and hard Mr. Maude (?) a sermon”
Ladies did read, but often did work on embroidery while listening to others as well.
Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676), The Great Picture 1646 portrait
Ruler of a great estate in Northern England, reading and needlework both big part of life, under her hands in the portrait are skeins of silk, needle holder, and book on embroidered item. She mentioned in text having “finished Irish work”
Any correlation between reading topics and embroidered pictures? Yes.
“The Excellent Woman” 1692 frontispiece Theophilius Dorrington
Mostly embroidered in private chambers- read in private when working
Lady Mary Wroth 1621, The Countess of Montgomeries
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, reading around fire railed against domestic arts
Gervasius Fabricius, 1613, Album Amicorum- women stitching and being attended by servants while in a lovely garden
The Needles Excellency frontispiece shows the garden as nature controlled
The Life of Mrs. Lucy Hutchinson, written by herself 1664-1671
“and for my needle I absolutely hated it”
Embroidery attributed to her 1635-1655 Bromley Phelan
Box, pre-1665, possibly by Miss Bluitt wrought at Hackney School
Girls’ school room, c.1700, were not taught school subjects, but polish manners
Memoirs of Vernley Family, Zootomia, “Fiddle faddles of the needle...” as soon as able to read
Susanna Perwich was perfectly skilled, John Batchiler “The Virgin’s Pattern” 1661
Comparing embroidered boxes with garden plans, show similar symmetry, control over environment
John Taylor on Wilton house w/ garden with walks and arbors
John Evelyn- passionate and obsessive garden, at a turbulent time in history the garden was a controllable paradise.
1681, Andrew Marvell, The Garden
Charity in a landscape, showing a detail of a fish comprised of oes and zig zag design on background- the waterspout can be easily seen in radiograph.
Though topics may be from biblical or classical times, the details in the embroideries are familiar and contemporary to the worker. Landscapes from embroideries, paintings and drawings share a common language and common landscape; gabled ends on houses, chimneys, tile roof, watermills
Venus fountain in Bolover Castle is similar to fountain in embroidery. Grotto comparisons are also similar, when compared to a picture of a grotto in Enstone Marvells
Extreme radiography brings out the structure of the embroidered panels
Metals and pearls show up easily in radiographs
-bundles under face to build up facial structure, possibly wood for the nose.
-mermaid has padded out areas for the belly breasts and face, built up arms of looser threads
Jael- softer bundles for shaping, wire of veil is distinct, a belly button seems to be shown even beneath garments
Possible under layers: layers of canvas for the face, wood for nose? Hammer handle, pearls and metal threads in skirts.
Ashmolean, Sacrifice of Isaac was x-rayed and the radiograph shows repairs with screws, adhesives, boarding of chest, 1673 (?) wrought in pearls, wooden hand, even a hand behind Isaac’s head almost 3D, anchored with pins. Wires and pins in wings and tail, two eyes are used even when one is hidden by profile, in one an actual bird’s beak was used for a bird. Some feathers and one beak have show up in the few radiographed to date do prove skeletal insertion.
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, “The Great Picture” 1646 shows what could be ‘twisted sisters’ a card with threads and silks wrapped around similar to those in a display of needlework tools in Hartford CT.