Let Virtue be a Guide to thee

1793

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Eunice Lincoln

Let Virtue be a Guide to thee

Eunice Lincoln

Let Virtue be a Guide to thee

1793

Physical Qualities Linen ground, silk embroidery threads, 25 1/2 x 21 3/8 in. (64.8 x 54.3 cm.)

Credit Line Gift of Mrs. Francis White, from the Collection of Mrs. Miles White, Jr.

Object Number 1973.76.346

A large rectangular sampler depicting a building, figures, animals and several decorative floral borders. The work is composed of a plain-woven bast fiber cloth ground, probably linen, embroidered in multicolored silk threads (several shades of green, including dark blue-green and medium olive-green, light blue, white, black, pink, lt. and dk. gold, lavender, creamy beige, and taupe. The central portion of the sampler depicts a two storey building with hipped roof flanked by fences, trees, birds, and male and female figures with a landscape above featuring trees and sheep, oversized flowers and angels, and a landscape below featuring a female figure in a striped dress and a male figure with a cocked hat on either side of a cartouche proclaiming 'Eunice Lincoln's work'. These motifs are enclosed by two columns and an archway. Surrounding the central scene are three borders. The innermost border is approx. 2-1/4' wide and consists of floral designs on both sides, a scene with shepard, shepardess, and sheep above, and a quotation from Alexander Pope below. A three-leaf clover is found in each corner of this border. The middle border is approximately 2' wide and has an olive-green backgound with stylized strawberry designs and unusual diagonal geometric motifs. The outerborder is approximately 1' wide with a sawtooth and stylized floral design. The embroidery is worked mainly in cross-stitch--usually over two threads in each direction but sometimes over one, stem, rococo, chain, and satin as well on a plain-woven ground of uneven warp and weft threads. The side edges appear to be selvages; the top and bottom edges are turned under less than approximately 3/16'.

Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 1973; Nancy Brewster (Mrs. Frances White) by inheritance; Virginia Purviance Bonsal (Mrs. Miles White, Jr.).

BMA, 'The White Collection,' March 19 - June 2, 1974.

William Voss Elder III, BMA, 'American Folk Art From the Baltimore Museum of Art and Local Collections, April 4 - June 18, 1978, cat. 116, p. 18.

Susan Cumins, BMA, 'Period Needlework in America, 1739-1865,' 1978, cat. 8; traveling exhibition circulated to Annapolis, Elkton, Salisbury, Columbia, Leonardtown, Stevenson, and Chestertown, Md.

Betty Ring, Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence, 'Rhode Island Needlework, 1730-1830,' (originally titled, 'Let Virtue Be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1830'), no. 115, p. 231, ill; exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, July 19-September 23, 1984.

Anita Jones, BMA, 'The Accomplished Stitch: Samplers and Silk Embroideries from the Collection,' May 11 - July 20, 1997.

Anita Jones, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Lessons Learned: American Schoolgirl Embroideries," November 23, 2014-May 10, 2015.

Ethel Stanwood Bolton and Eva Johnston Coe," American Samplers, Boston: The Massachusetts Society of The Colonial Dames of America", 1921, p. 61.

Betty Ring, 'The Balch school in Providence, Rhode Island,' The Magazine Antiques (April 1975), p. 673, pl. VIII.

Inscribed: Embroidered in center: 'June 30/ 1794'; Embroidered below pictorial center: 'Let virtue be a Guide to thee . Eunice L'; 'Eunice/Lincoln's/work'; 'Virtue outshines the stars outlives the tomb climbs/ up to heaven and finds a peacful (sic) home. Mr. Pope' [Note: Old style 's' appears as 'f' in the several words: 'outfines' and 'ftars'.]