In Praise of the Needlewoman: Embroiderers, Knitters, Lacemakers and Weavers in Art

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.