In really superb condition and ready to frame and enjoy for centuries, this is a c.1750-80s silk embroidery using chenille and worked on an excellent supple silk which remains in truly excellent shape. A brilliant landscape, the buildings painted on the silk and all of the rest hand stitched in silk and using chenille yarn of silk. Typically, this work would have been a sampler and done by some quite young girl as she worked at her education of those essentials for proper girls, women. In its time, most girls were not taught to read, but sewing and comportment, clothing detail and perhaps music and conversation would have been the curriculum, goal of being a gentleman's or courtier's wife. And these quite often have a heavier mourning aesthetic, sometimes tombs, obvious mourning iconography. This one is more subtle, and has the usual dying plants and blooming new life plants (eternal nature of life and death), the distant church at the end of the path he walks, a dog faithfully nearby, signifying loyalty. The man bent in sorrow, and the over-cloak of a tree (though not the typical weeping willow) casting shade and protection. Just as close to perfectly preserved as possible and just in from France. It is still stretched over a card, has only recently been removed from a frame and the protection of cover glass, and will need same again at it's destination.
Very good to excellent condition, it really hasn't any deterioration to point out. Protected now and for shipment in archival tissue and with heavier card backing and archival sleeve. It will be shipped flat and frame-ready. RARE!!! Truly a museum piece, this. I have no history for it, as it was part of an anonymous estate of needlework and face screens I purchased in France.
