SAMPLER

In 1828 seven-year-old Norfolk native Sarah Hatton McPhail completed a river scene in counted cross stitch that is as much a piece of academic painting in thread as it is a work of folk art.  The anonymous artist--presumably Sarah’s teacher--responsible for this arrangement demonstrated a familiarity with the fundamentals of design. Elements in the foreground--the tree, fence, and bushes--are formulaic devices that land- and waterscape artists of the period used to define the boundaries of their views. The two figures in the boat, the focal point, have their backs turned, inviting the viewer into the scene. And in contrast to the majority of house scenes featured on samplers, the buildings here were rendered in perspective. While unusual for a sampler, this subject matter was included in the drawing and painting classes considered essential for a polite and refined education.