Embroidered Picture 1852 - 1855

Editor: Here we have Mary Ann Parks Hammond’s "Embroidered Picture," created sometime between 1852 and 1855. The fact that it's embroidery gives it such a warm, tactile feel. There’s also a strong narrative element that is compelling; what stands out to you? Curator: Oh, the stitching breathes such life into this historical scene. You see, I think it transports us to another time, not just historically, but also regarding women’s work, right? We get so caught up in painted narratives, but needlework had its own powerful voice. Have you considered how the very act of embroidery, repetitive and meditative, informs the story it tells? Editor: I hadn't thought of that, but now that you mention it, the texture does give it this slow, considered quality. The figures almost seem frozen in time, like a still from a play. Curator: Precisely. It's history, carefully threaded together. And then there's the contrast— the elaborate clothing and rather formal gestures placed within a natural, somewhat wild landscape. It asks us to reconcile the controlled with the uncontrolled. What story do *you* think the embroidery tells? Is it Biblical? I see elements of women, potentially being saved from something… perhaps slavery or other trauma? It would have touched so many souls! Editor: Hmmm, I was too focused on the aesthetics. That’s interesting. It changes my reading. Curator: Doesn’t it all? See, once you ask yourself ‘Why this medium,’ it’s amazing where the threads take you! Editor: It definitely puts a different spin on thinking about American art in the 19th century. I need to keep exploring.