How do we look at a work of art, a landscape, a garden, or a sampler? What do we see first? Is it an impression of the whole? Or are there colors that stand out and catch our eye? Is it the composition of what we are viewing? Do we seek symmetry and balance, or quirkiness? Does our eye travel from one point to another, or does it jump around what is in front of us? We need to be aware of how we see things, whether they were created by nature or humans.
Before you scroll down, please take a few minutes to note what you see when looking at this sampler. Try not to think about what style it is or where it is from. Pretend you have no knowledge of samplers and look at it as a piece of art, which it is.
- Anne Thruckstone
- 1723/24
- London, England
- silk on 56-count linen
- The Unbroken Thread Collection
When I first see a sampler—whether in a museum, on an online auction site, or anywhere else—it’s the color that draws me in first, followed by the overall composition. If I see red or deep blue on a band sampler, I’m hooked.
This sampler is one I loved so much that I stopped on the streets of London, by a bus stop, to bid on and win in an online auction, while my husband patiently waited until the bidding was over!
As you can see, this sampler has the elements that I “see” first: the colors red and blue, and the fact that it’s a band sampler (my favorite kind). A band sampler is one where the design is composed of rows, or “bands,” of decorative stitching. Often, each band is a repetitive pattern. In later band samplers, such as this example, we find rows of text. In this sampler, there are 14 bands of decorative patterns and text, not including the final line of text, which features her name and the date she finished.
In addition, I noticed the unusual date of 17234 and the arcaded* pansy band in the middle of the composition. This is one of my favorite motifs found on antique samplers; most often embroidered in the 17th and 18th centuries, some samplers embroidered in the early 19th century still include them.
*In the context of antique samplers, an “arcaded” design refers to a series of connected, decorative arches, often supported by pillars or columns.
One of the widest bands is an arcaded pansy design embroidered using satin stitch over two threads. Why is this important? Firstly, it takes longer to work a satin stitch than it does to work standard cross-stitch. Secondly, it uses more thread. That means more money was spent on the materials for this sampler, and more time was taken to stitch it.
When reading the listing on the auction house website, I noted the dimensions of the sampler: 19 cm x 30 cm (7 ½ x 12 inches). It is very small. The embroidery is incredibly delicate and beautifully worked, stitched long before the invention of electric lights.
When looking at this sampler, I saw color first and style simultaneously, followed by the date and a particular design: the arcaded pansy border.
With each sampler, we will begin by looking and noting what we see. I hope this will help train our eyes to notice details we may have overlooked before. This is what we did today.
We will begin by analyzing the visual and artistic components. Here, we will describe how the sampler is organized. Is it a traditional band sampler, a balanced spot-motif design, or does it feature a prominent architectural element (like a house or school)?
Next, we will look at the composition and layout, color and thread palette, and stitch repertoire. I’ll discuss the current state of the colors versus how they might have looked originally. Photos of the back of the piece may reveal vibrant, unfaded silks where the front has faded to soft tans and greens.
The stitch repertoire will be examined. I will list the primary stitches used and will ask for your help if I’m stumped. Is it mostly standard cross-stitch, or does it feature advanced techniques like marking stitch, satin stitch, eyelets, or queen’s stitch?
Focusing on the specifics of each sampler, we’ll look at the bands, the border, the central motifs, and any texts or verses on the piece.
Lastly, I will share any biographical and historical information I have about the embroiderer and the times in which they lived. Remember, sometimes we don’t know who the stitcher was or when they stitched the sampler. While this can be frustrating on one level, it is also an opportunity to solve a mystery!
For today, please leave the notes you made in the comments about what you saw when looking at our first sampler, and thank you for joining me.
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