Sirna, Gail Carolyn,

In praise of the needlewoman : embroiderers, knitters, lacemakers, and weavers in art / Gail Carolyn Sirna ; foreword by Shay Pendray. - 192 pages : colour illustrations, portraits ; 28 cm

Includes bibliographical references (page 188) and index.

"Women of all times, places, and stations in life have taken needle in hand, either for the most utilitarian of purposes or for artistic reasons. This charming collection of beautiful paintings celebrates the centuries-old iconography of women engaged in needle work and the related arts of knitting, lacemaking, and weaving. Artists have long sought to capture the needlewoman's quiet concertration and artistic endeavor, and many of the loveliest paintings on this theme, from the sixteenth century onward, are presented in this book" --Cover, p. 2. "Women of all times, places, and stations in life have taken needle in hand, either for the most utilitarian of purposes or for artistic reasons. This collection of beautiful paintings celebrates the centuries-old iconography of women engaged in needlework and the related arts of knitting, lacemaking, and weaving." "Artists have long sought to capture the needlewoman's quiet concentration and artistic endeavor, and many of the loveliest paintings on this theme, from the sixteenth century onward, are presented in this book. Works by such old masters as Vermeer, Chardin, and Velazquez are followed by major works by the Impressionists and Pre-Raphaelites; the selection continues into the twentieth century with paintings by, for example, Vuillard and Dali. Many of these intimate female portraits are by women artists, including Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot."--BOOK JACKET.

1858943418 9781858943411


Needlework in art
Women in art
Painting, European
Painting, American

N8231 / .S57 2006

758.97464