Needlework Picture, Jesus and Samaritan Woman at the Well, by Unknown Maker

Date1700-1740

MediumSilk and wool embroidery threads on a linen ground; wooden frame and glass

DimensionsFramed: OW: 17" x OH: 14"

Credit LineBequest of Elizabeth Ridgely Blagojevich.

Object number1991-404

DescriptionThis is a framed, rectangular needlework picture in silk and wool threads on a linen canvas. The needlework depicts Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. The female figure is standing with her left hand outstretched, and Jesus is seated with his right hand outstretched. The two frame a well and stand in a grassy landscape, flanked by leafy trees. In the background is a building on a hill. A sun shines in the sky, bordered by clouds. There are two rabbits in the foreground and two butterflies and a bird near the figures' heads. Jesus's head is framed by a golden halo.

Stitches: queen, tent
Label TextThis needlework picture, stitched in England between 1700 and 1740, depicts Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Most seventeenth and early eighteenth century needlework pictures depict stories from the Old Testament. This picture is unusual in its presentation of a New Testament story.
ProvenanceBequest of Elizabeth Blagojevich; no further provenance is known.