In Praise of the Needlewoman ¢¡¤£¦¥¨§ © © ¡ © ¡¤£¦ © £ £ ! "£ # £ %$& ' (*)) + ,%- . / . 021 By 3 ¤ 4657¤ ©4 6 ¢89 ¤ Undertheauspicesof TheNationalAcademyofNeedlearts For Bob,myhusband Michele,CherylandTony,mychildren Connor,mygrandson and inmemoryof GabrielleCurieGrace March2002 2 :<;>=@? A¤B C DFE GH I¤DKJLD D M N D OPEQRAS; Y2Z¤Y [6\ ] ^ U _`Y acb USVKdfehg¤\ Y i j¤V \ V \i ZlkmV n b V \ ZFop\ b T@USVKW<X \ V n V Z¤b qsrPtt*u v T@]sg¤w VRY a`x7Y2Z¤b V Z¤b n z¤{ | }¤~s¤ { }Sz y }S{ P}SzK 2 { }Sz | S% { }Sz} ¤ { }¤| R} z¤{ zS | S% { }Sz} }¤| { | { ¤| zl { 2| z| { }Sz} }¤| { | { ¤ * z | z¤{ zS % | }S ~S2| 2| P~S ¤ { 2~FS{ h| z y % | }Sz¤ { `| S}* S{ }Sz% zK { 2 h z ~% S¤¡ { { { 2| ¢¤ % | }S ~S2| |~S ¤ { ~FSh2| 2 zy %¤| }Sz¤ { £*¤ % | }S ~S2| |~S ¤ { ~FS{ hy % | }Sz¤ { P} ¥s¦* * z * 6§P} {y | }Sz¤ { ¨ ¢ { 2|| { { P} { Rª { K«¬ z¤{ ¤| ¨sª © 6¤| }S 2 z% z¤{ zSS P} { R { K«¬ z¤{ ¤| ­ §P z¤{ zSS P} { R { K«¬ z¤{ ¤| s §P z¤{ zSS { { h ¤~S{ }%¥s{ { ¤ zS ¥*}¤ ¤y %S 2 { }Sz} { 6§P}¤| { | ¤} { 2~s ®F}S z s R ¦sz }®R 2~sS z¤{ ª£ ¤ z ~* 2 z | S ®F2~§P z¤{ zSS { { ¤ { §P2}SS h¥s{ { ¤ zS ª ¯ S }**| ¤S ªs § }S{ }«¬| 2~* { ­¢ «¤| h°P}¤ ¦S ­*¨ 6°P2~sR} ¥ }S{Shh | 2~°P}¤| ~ z¤zSs }Sz ­*¤ 2| z z%{ }¤ { 2~%²| zS*Shh | 2~°P}¤| ~ z¤zSs }Sz ­* ± ± §P| }*S2| ­*ª 6§P| s h} { 22~s s ­ 22~s 2³ ´*2 z s ­ Sµ * { 2~F z%S¤| S {} { ¤ P| 22| ss ± }¤}S¦S }**s¤{ z%S¤| S {} { ¤ P| 22| s2¢ ´s¤ ¤ { P { { z ~S2~ s | { { }Sz } 2| s¨ 3 ¶>·¤¸ ¹ º2»¤¼s½ ¸ ¾ º2· AsaneedleworkinstructorIamfrequentlyinvitedtoteachclassesatvariouslocationsaround thecountry,sometimesforchaptersoftheEmbroiderers’GuildofAmericaortheAmerican NeedlepointGuild,othertimesforseminarssponsoredbytheseorothersimilarorganizations, andoccasionallyinneedleworkshops.OftenIamaskedtodoaprogramfortheentirechapter (theaforementionedclasswouldprobablyonlyaccommodate20stitchers)andthisusually takestheformofsomekindofslidepresentation.Mosttravelingneedleworkteachershaveat leastoneslidepresentationintheirrepertoireforsuchoccasions. SeveralyearsagoIdeterminedIneededanewslidepresentation,andIbecameinterestedin collectingneedleworksthatportrayedthehumanform.Icalledthisslidepresentation “PortraitsinEmbroidery.”ForitIcollectedslidesbothfrommycolleaguesandfromother stitchers;alltheseslidesshowedstitchedportraitsinsomefashionoranother.Tointroducethe presentationIthoughtitmightbeinterestingtoshowhowpaintershadalsodepictedthe humanform;infact,thiswasacommonformofpaintingandoftenhowanartistmanagedto supporthimself,i.e.,bydoingportraits.Sincethisslidepresentationwasdefinitelydirectedat stitchersIthoughtitwouldbeappropriatetofindperhaps5-10paintingsthatdepictedwomen stitching. ThistaskturnedouttobemucheasierthanIhadeveranticipated.RightawayIwasableto identifynumerouspaintings,mostlyImpressionist,thatshowedwomenengagedinsewing, embroidery,orsomeotherrelatedneedleart.Icameacrosstheseinaddressbooksandday journals,oncalendars,postcards,andposters;mostofthesewerecommonlyavailablein bookstoresormuseumshops.TheImpressionistswereprominentlyrepresented,undoubtedly becausetheirartisverypopularinAmericatoday,andsellswell.Ieasilyhadmy10images withwhichtointroduce“PortraitsinEmbroidery.” IntheprocessIbecameentrancedwiththepaintings!Icouldnotrefrainfromsearchingfor them,andeverywhereIlookedIfoundmore.Ieagerlyboughtupthecalendarsandday journals,andthepostcards,thengraduatedtoartbooksandtheoccasionalposter.BeforeI knewitIhadidentifiedenoughpaintingsofpeoplestitching,knitting,crocheting,weaving, spinning,ormakinglacetoproduceasecondslidepresentation.Ientitledthissecondslide show“InPraiseoftheNeedlewoman”whichisanallusiontoanearlyneedleworkpoemcalled “InPrayseoftheNeedle”. SometimesIhadtobegtheneedleworkguildstoletmepresentthissecondslidepresentation; afterall,itwasn’treallyaboutstitching.Itwasreallyaboutpainting. WhenIdecidedtowritethisHonorsDissertationIreallysteppedupmyresearch.Inanalyzing this,IwouldsayItooktwodifferentapproaches.FirstofallIwentontheInternet,searching outpaintingsallovertheworld.SometimesIdiscoveredthatamuseumhadacertainpainting (thatIhadfoundinabook,forinstance)andIwouldfinditswebsiteandrequestaslideofthe paintinginquestion.Somemuseumswereremarkablyeasytodealwith,andafewe-mailsand acreditcardnumberwouldproducesomeslidesinmymailboxaweekorsolater.Thiswas 4 especiallytrueoftheTateGalleryinLondon,andtheManchesterCityArtGallery,alsoin England,theSt.LouisArtMuseumandtheJoslynGalleryinOmahaintheUnitedStates. Franceanditscentralizedsystemwasalsoveryuserfriendly,evenwiththelanguagebarrier. Othermuseumswereexasperatinglydifficulttodealwith;endlesse-mailsandphonecallsand faxeselicitednothingbutfrustration.Howannoyingformetoknowthatacertainpainting wouldreallyroundoutasectionofmypresentationandwrittenwork,buttobeunableto obtainaslideofit. Permissiontoprintanimageinmywrittendissertationwasanotherchallenge.Somemuseums wereveryforthcomingandresponsive;inashorttimeIhadthewrittenpermissionandthe appropriatephoto.Othershavenotcomethroughevenaftermonthsofrequestsonmypart.It isprudenttohavebackupplansforsuchsituations. WhileattemptingtopurchaseslidesofpaintingsIhadalreadyidentified,Idiscoveredsome excellentmuseumwebsites(andsomeprettypoorones,too).Someoftheseallowedmeto searchbysubjectmatter,andIwasabletofindmanymorepaintingsthatdepictedwomen stitching.OthertimesIjuststumbledacrossthesepaintings,usuallybysearchingunderkey wordssuchas“ sewing”,“ knitting”,“ crocheting”,“ lace”,“ weaving”,andbelieveitornot, “ window.”Sosurfingthewebsitesofartmuseumswasmostproductive.However,thereare hundredsofmuseumsworldwideandonecannotpossiblyseethemall,evenfromthecomfort ofone’ shomestudio.Andsometimestheforeignlanguageofthewebsitebroughtmetoa standstill,eventhoughIcanmuddlethroughseveralEuropeanlanguages. My“ reallife”strategy—asopposedtothevirtualstrategyofthewebsites—wastovisit museumsandtogotoexhibits.IamfortunatetobeatastageoflifewhereIhavethetimeto travel,thephysicalstaminatodoso,andalsothewherewithal.AndsoIbeganinearnestto visitmuseumsallovertheworld.IfatanytimeIhadreasontobeinacitywithanart collection,offIwouldgotothemuseum,usuallydraggingmyever-indulgenthusband,or child,orfriendalongwithme.SometimesIwouldonlybeinacityforafewhours; nevertheless,themuseum(andcertainlythecathedral,anotherofmypassions)wouldbemy firstpriority. Chicagoanditsgreatmuseumwasafrequentportofcall;theArtInstituteofChicagosponsors numerouswonderfulspecialexhibitsandisonlyashorttrainrideorplaneflightaway.Iwas alsofortunatetovisitHoustonandBostononmorethanoneoccasionfortheirspecialexhibits. Sometimes,whenonroadtrips,Iinsistedwegooutofourwaytovisitsomesmallremote museumjusttoseeonepaintingofastitcher(theHydeCollectioninGlensFalls,NYcomesto mind).BecauseofallthisIhavediscoveredsomewonderfulsmallmuseumsacrossthis countryandinothersthatImightneverhavevisitedotherwise. MyhusbandhadoccasiontogotoEnglandforaspecialcarshow;wefollowedthatupwith numerousstopsatartmuseumsandgalleriesalloverEnglandandScotland.MydaughterandI wentonaBalticSeacruise;mymotivationwastovisittheHermitage,oneoftheworld’ sgreat collectionsofart.Weturnedthiscruiseintoanarttour,stoppinginmuseumsineverycapital cityontheBaltic,andintheseIfoundlotsofstitchers.Whatfun!Howgratifying!How 5 overwhelming!IknewnowIcouldneveridentifythemall.IevenfoundstitchersinChinaÐ lotsofthem,bothrealandpainted,butregretfullyleftthemoutofthisdissertationsoasto limititsscope. Ihaveeveninfectedmyfamilyandfriendswithmyquest.MydaughterCheryl,alibrarianby trainingandaresearcherbyinclination,hasferretedoutmanyobscurepaintingsinveryarcane places.Itisshewhosharesmypassionthemost.Mysister-in-lawJessieSirnaÐ anarthistory professorandanotheravidtravelerÐ hasbroughtbackslidesandpostcardsfromthemostout ofthewaymuseumsallovertheworld.Eventheguildmemberswhohaveattendedmyearly ª pre-productionºrunsoftheslidepresentationhaveoccasionallyfoundaª stitcherºforme. Nevertheless,thevastmajorityoftheseartworkshavebeenidentifiedbymeinmyresearch. IfthereisanepiphanyinthiswholeprojectitisthatIhaverealizedthatsewingand embroideryaretheª threadsºthatbindus(mostlywomen)topastgenerationsandfuture generations,andtowomenaroundtheworld.ThepaintingsIhaveidentifiedrangebackasfar asthe1400' s,showingthatwomenweredoinghandworkthen,justasnow.Theartistswho paintedthesewomenarefromalloverthewesternworld,andindeedtheeasternworld,too. Everyculturehassewingandembroideringinsomefashion,ashaseveryera.Literaturegives usevenmoreproofofthisÐ sewingandweavingarementionedasearlyastheOld TestamentÐ butthatissomeoneelse' sdissertation.EventodaywomenÐ andsomemenÐ all overtheworldarebusywiththeirhandwork.Somedoitprofessionally,somedoitoutof necessity,somedoitforpleasure,andsomedoitforcreativeexpression.Butitismy observationthatinallculturesandinalltimesthereisanimperativetotakeneedleandthread inhandandproducesomethingeitherusefulordecorative.Andoften,oncedirenecessityis overcome,thisstitchingbecomesdecorativeandultimatelyartistic. AsanembroidererallIhavetodoisbringoutmystitchinginsomepublicplaceandinstantly peoplewanttoseewhatIamdoing.Theveryactofstitchingseemstobeanicebreaker,even acrosscultures.OnceinthebackwatersofPeruourtrainwasdelayedandItookoutmy knittingtopassthetime.OurguidewassosurprisedthatanAmericanwomanwiththemeans totravelthisfarwouldspendhertimeoccupiedwiththesamedomesticactivityasthevillage womeninhiscountry.Believeme,thosewomenwereallaboutmetolookatmyyarnandmy pattern;theydidn' tspeakEnglish,theydidn' tevenspeakSpanish,butonlytheirunwritten