DOI issue:
Special winter-number 1896-7
DOI article:White, Gleeson: The sampler: an appreciation and a plea for its revival
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17298#0387
The Sampler
because that conveys the intention of the worker; foreshortening, supply a goodly pageant. But the
" arranged without care and devoid of grace would row of crowns, like a chess problem which has
be a far more literal description. The power of lost its ground plan, the simple letters dispersed
real invention in design is always rare, even among among them—all speak of caprice and irregular
those professionally devoted to the art; to take a application. Can it be that the monitress herself
drawing from nature worked as accuratelyas brush or worked the orthodox portions ? Remembering the
pencil can depict it, and burlesque its subtle planes much re-touched crayon drawings of a later period
and infinitely varied curves by stitches is misspent which boarding schools produced, the doubt will
ingenuity. It is just because the motives of these insinuate itself. But taken for all in all, it is an
samplers are patterns made out of the limited erratic, lawless specimen that fascinates one never-
straight and diagonal lines the canvas offers that theless.
one can admire them thoroughly and unreservedly. Kitty Harison, in 1770, employs the same
A sampler with most varied attractions is that verse, " See how the lilies flourish white and fair,"
of lean Porter, T710. It is distinctly transitional, which appears in an earlier undated specimen illus-
the " I " for "J ; " the fine bands at the lower part trated (page 60), and on many others probably. On
are both orthodox and really good. But the figures this also is the " corn-flower " motive, as we should
suggest at once the Bayeux tapestry, and the call it, which is more likely a direct copy of the con-
nursery slate. One imagines that its little worker ventional " Indian Pink," a very frequent device in
was permitted to exercise her own fancy. Possibly Oriental designs. Despite the squat shape, it is
it is typical of a change of governesses. Adam by no means an uncomely panel. The ornament
and Eve, guarded by two gigantic fowls of doubtful is well chosen and well placed. The alphabet is
parentage, a couple of marvellous stags, which show not good—the " serifs " of the letters, and the
an Assyrian dislike to perspective and tricks of sprawling X are especially bad. The reversed P,
which stands for Q, is
worth noting. In small
letters the P's and Q's,
which gave rise to the
proverb, still maintain
their similarity; but in
modern capital letters, the
Q has coquetted with O,
and conquered all along
the line.
Now we reach a sampler
(page 61) that is at once
typical and yet more than
merely a type—a master-
piece of its kind. One
could well believe that the
dainty art of Miss Green-
away could be traced back
'Sju to this particular example.
When " Elizabeth Sufanna
jG~«L'' Newham" (for we may
take the letters between
as equivalents to the " pil-
$ : m
< i
V' •:>
r
and i-.-ur 3&?
H scrr hoxa the RAVenns nrd jfrorn Heaverm .are- m
r ciotf, arid br.
H - M|
M
'Si
j mmhv /f\*#» I
M
1;
>wa low-words" of Japanese
SF^SIW poetry, which are purely
w^M rep decorative adjuncts),
|c worked this in the Ashby
*-*L . +T*,. !#W !V. Hospital in the year 1760,
■j . •*'""'i* 'ffsf 1 we may safely believe that
JSslife^ •.. . fj£j>] she never foresaw an
eulogy in an art-magazine
more than a hundred
years after. In all proba-
bility the worthy mai-
den had never heard of
\rt with a big A; and
n
1
was quite innocent of
the sampler of kittv iiARisoN i77o being a loyal disciple to
63
because that conveys the intention of the worker; foreshortening, supply a goodly pageant. But the
" arranged without care and devoid of grace would row of crowns, like a chess problem which has
be a far more literal description. The power of lost its ground plan, the simple letters dispersed
real invention in design is always rare, even among among them—all speak of caprice and irregular
those professionally devoted to the art; to take a application. Can it be that the monitress herself
drawing from nature worked as accuratelyas brush or worked the orthodox portions ? Remembering the
pencil can depict it, and burlesque its subtle planes much re-touched crayon drawings of a later period
and infinitely varied curves by stitches is misspent which boarding schools produced, the doubt will
ingenuity. It is just because the motives of these insinuate itself. But taken for all in all, it is an
samplers are patterns made out of the limited erratic, lawless specimen that fascinates one never-
straight and diagonal lines the canvas offers that theless.
one can admire them thoroughly and unreservedly. Kitty Harison, in 1770, employs the same
A sampler with most varied attractions is that verse, " See how the lilies flourish white and fair,"
of lean Porter, T710. It is distinctly transitional, which appears in an earlier undated specimen illus-
the " I " for "J ; " the fine bands at the lower part trated (page 60), and on many others probably. On
are both orthodox and really good. But the figures this also is the " corn-flower " motive, as we should
suggest at once the Bayeux tapestry, and the call it, which is more likely a direct copy of the con-
nursery slate. One imagines that its little worker ventional " Indian Pink," a very frequent device in
was permitted to exercise her own fancy. Possibly Oriental designs. Despite the squat shape, it is
it is typical of a change of governesses. Adam by no means an uncomely panel. The ornament
and Eve, guarded by two gigantic fowls of doubtful is well chosen and well placed. The alphabet is
parentage, a couple of marvellous stags, which show not good—the " serifs " of the letters, and the
an Assyrian dislike to perspective and tricks of sprawling X are especially bad. The reversed P,
which stands for Q, is
worth noting. In small
letters the P's and Q's,
which gave rise to the
proverb, still maintain
their similarity; but in
modern capital letters, the
Q has coquetted with O,
and conquered all along
the line.
Now we reach a sampler
(page 61) that is at once
typical and yet more than
merely a type—a master-
piece of its kind. One
could well believe that the
dainty art of Miss Green-
away could be traced back
'Sju to this particular example.
When " Elizabeth Sufanna
jG~«L'' Newham" (for we may
take the letters between
as equivalents to the " pil-
$ : m
< i
V' •:>
r
and i-.-ur 3&?
H scrr hoxa the RAVenns nrd jfrorn Heaverm .are- m
r ciotf, arid br.
H - M|
M
'Si
j mmhv /f\*#» I
M
1;
>wa low-words" of Japanese
SF^SIW poetry, which are purely
w^M rep decorative adjuncts),
|c worked this in the Ashby
*-*L . +T*,. !#W !V. Hospital in the year 1760,
■j . •*'""'i* 'ffsf 1 we may safely believe that
JSslife^ •.. . fj£j>] she never foresaw an
eulogy in an art-magazine
more than a hundred
years after. In all proba-
bility the worthy mai-
den had never heard of
\rt with a big A; and
n
1
was quite innocent of
the sampler of kittv iiARisoN i77o being a loyal disciple to
63