Terms and conditions of use
Sampler
1778
- Medium
- linen, silk (thread), cotton (tacking)
- Measurements
- 45.0 × 34.4 cm
- Place/s of Execution
- (England)
- Inscription
- stitched in brown silk thread l.l.: Sarah Burch finish’d this sampler in the 7 year of her age
stitched in red/brown silk thread u.l to u.r.: 17 On Youth 78 - Accession Number
- 1041-D4
- Department
- International Fashion and Textiles
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1951
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest - Gallery location
- Not on display
- About this work
-
By the eighteenth century, the format of English samplers had evolved into a squarer shape reflecting their changing purpose. No longer simply a narrow dictionary of stitches, the sampler was approached in the same manner as a painting or print. Works still celebrated proficiency in lettering, decorative designs and spot motifs, but they were also an opportunity for personal expression. Many embroiderers cited contemporary poets; here Burch records three excerpts from a well-known schoolbook by Thomas Dilworth first published in 1761.
For Kids
When a young girl learnt to embroider, she would practice her stitches on a piece of cloth. This cloth was called a sampler. The sampler could include rows of patterns and letters, or words and pictures that make up a story. It was common for her to practise her stitches on samplers between the ages of seven and nine. When her sampler was finished she would sign her name at the bottom. Can you see the name of the embroiderer at the bottom of this sampler? How old was she when she finished this piece?
