Mourning Embroidery 1935 - 1942

This ‘Mourning Embroidery’ was made by Harry Jennings. It depicts a group of figures mourning at a graveside. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century United States, needlework offered women a socially acceptable creative outlet. Embroidered mourning pictures like these were a popular way for young women to display their artistic skill, commemorate deceased loved ones, and reflect on mortality. The women’s neoclassical garb visually recalls ancient democracies while also referencing contemporary fashion. Such references point to the culture of aspiration in the young republic. The tomb, the weeping willow, and the church in the background all operate as visual cues within a symbolic language of grief and piety. It’s worth noting the prominent display of this language within a domestic textile tradition that was both a creative outlet for, and an expectation of, women. Analyzing the art of the past requires us to examine not just the object itself, but also the society and the institutions of that era. Looking at sources like domestic records, family trees, and local histories can help us more fully understand the context in which these objects were made.