Artist/Maker

Coates, Elizabeth

Place Made

Date Made

1805-1810

Medium

silk on silk, portions painted

Dimensions

HOA: 10 1/8; WOA: 9 3/4

Accession Number

4034.2

Description

MAKER: Elizabeth Coates (1796-1843) was the daughter of Francis Coates (1769-1847/8) and Charlotte Linton (bef.1774-bef.1846). Her parents immigrated to Baltimore from Ireland around 1792 and were married by 1795. They were among the early followers of Methodism and John Wesley and by 1802 had become active members of the First Methodist Church. Francis Coates owned a grocery store and a bakery in central Baltimore from around 1796-1827. Elizabeth married Baltimore silversmith Hosea Wilson (1790-1819) in 1816. They were married only three years before Hosea’s death in 1819.

DESCRIPTION: Picture of young girl in high-waisted dress and wide-brimmed bonnet. Girl holds a lamb. In the background are trees, a fence and a house. The picture is in an oval shape and is surrounded by a leafy vine with a single flower at the top and a bow at the bottom.

FORM: Ornamental embroideries such as this were common products of the finest needlework schools of America during the first two decades of the nineteenth century. The designs are usually based on existing prints. The foundation fabric is typically silk; and they are embellished with colored silk threads, sometimes with chenille and spangles. Faces, hands, and sky areas are frequently inpainted with watercolor. This difficult work signified the culmination of a girl’s needlework training, and also the considerable wealth of her parents.

FRAME: Frame and glass are modern reproductions (1991), based on the frame and glass used on the companion work.

RELATED OBJECTS: Also by Elizabeth Coates: sampler (MESDA Acc. No. 4034.1); companion needlework piece (MESDA Acc. No. 4034.3).

History

Artist Biography

MAKER: Elizabeth Coates (1796-1843) was the daughter of Baltimore grocer Francis Coates and his wife Chralotte Linton. The sampler was completed in 1804, when Elizabeth was 8 years old. The two related needlework pictures (4034.2-3), also made by Elizabeth, were completed a few years later. She probably attended a needlework school, but we have not yet identified the institution or the teacher. In 1816 Elizabeth married Baltimore silversmith Hosea Wilson. She bore at least one son, Francis, and probably a second son, Hosea Jr. Her husband died after only three years of marriage, and Elizabeth never remarried.

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Hull McLean