Lot 660
  • 660

Rare Embroidered and Painted Silk Mourning Picture, Eliza Davis, St. Joseph's Academy, Emmitsburg, Maryland, circa 1826

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Height 18 in. by width 21 1/2 in.
Worked in silk and chenille stitches on a painted and inked ground, inscribed on the glass and on the plinth: ELIZA DAVIS, In Memory of Thomas Andrew Davis...



Glass has been replaced.

Provenance

Mrs. Charles A. Perlitz, 1968.

Exhibited

American Needlework Treasures: Samplers and Silk Embroideries from the Collection of Betty Ring at the Museum of American Folk Art (p. 102, fig. 166)

Condition

Tiny spot of foxing extreme right border; colors and silk sound and vibrant; in the original giltwood and gesso frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This is typical of a large group of memorials worked at Saint Joseph's Academy in Emmitsburg during the 1820s and 1830s. This Catholic girls' school was established in 1809 by Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton of New York, and it continued as Saint Joseph College until 1972 (see ANTIQUES, March 1978, pp. 590-599). Eliza Ann Davis was the daughter of Thomas Andrew Davis (1780-1822) of Charles County,
Maryland.

Elizabeth Ann Davis (1811-1827) was the oldest of six children born to Thomas Andrew Davis (1780-1822) and his second wife Elizabeth Grace Ward (unknown-1869).  The inscription on Elizabeth Ann Davis' tomb reads, "ELIZABETH ANN DAVIS/ Obit/ 31st August AD 1827/ Age 16/ Placed here by maternal love/ and respect to the memory of/ a dearly beloved Daughter./ Sleep on my child and wait/ the Almighty's will.  Then rise/ unchanged & be an angel still." (Additional information provided by Carol and Stephen Huber).