Labors of the Months
A Year in Miniature
Figurative scenes rendered in needlework were popular in English Renaissance homes; these textiles often functioned as cushion covers or table and cupboard carpets. A talented female amateur likely sewed this piece using a professionally prepared kit with the design outlined in advance on canvas. Here, a circuitous path leads through each month’s activities. Some of the figures are at rest, but most are at work, reflecting the realities of seventeenth-century British rural life.
Figurative scenes rendered in needlework were popular in English Renaissance homes; these textiles often functioned as cushion covers or table and cupboard carpets. A talented female amateur likely sewed this piece using a professionally prepared kit with the design outlined in advance on canvas. Here, a circuitous path leads through each month’s activities. Some of the figures are at rest, but most are at work, reflecting the realities of seventeenth-century British rural life.
Artwork Details
- Title: Labors of the Months
- Date: second quarter 17th century
- Culture: British
- Medium: Canvas worked in wool, silk , and metal thread; tent, Gobelin, back, cross, and couching stitches
- Dimensions: Overall: 21 1/2 x 23 1/2 in. (54.6 x 59.7 cm)
- Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
- Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
- Object Number: 64.101.1324
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1683
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1683
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1683
Multiple artists/makers
1769–71
Multiple artists/makers
1769–71
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