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RHODA ANN 1814 |
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Typical of so many late 18th and early
19th century New York samplers, this American rendition of Adam
and Eve sprout up larger than life, and very sharp-edged beside
a small country house. Overtones of sin cloud the scene as Eve
grasps an apple. The curious verse seems to refer to our New World Garden, as America was perceived by its new immigrants.
As the 19th century progressed and immigrants continued to flood
in, it was felt by many Americans that the land and the country
were losing their purity and innocence. Materialism, manifest
destiny, the growth of large cities, somehow boded ill for the world's wild winderness (how prophetic!). Since religion was the organizing
principle of their lives, it is not surprising to see this odd
juxtaposition of Biblical sentiment beside domestic/materialistic
comfort; unified in one rather distinctly American version of
Paradise. |
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Origin and date: New York, 1814
Rated: Beginning
Linen count/finished size: 30 count, 17" square
Stitches: Cross, rice, four-sided, eyelet, queen, stem
Source: Private collection
Kit with cotton floss: $44.00
Kit with silk floss: $80.00
Graph only: $7.00
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