Two women hanging an embroidery

Category

Library Item

Item no

30834

Title

Two women hanging an embroidery

Description

Two women unfolding a tapestry on a wooden structure. Text: 'And Spread with 'broidered hangings/ Till all was ready for the fray.'

Artist / maker

Crane, Walter

Date

1891

Size

20.0 x 17.5 cm

Type

Publisher's print

Location

Art and Design Library

The two women, personified by flowers, are hanging a tapestry against a light green vine background. Like many of the other images in this book, design is key in this image. The background again is very much like the wallpaper that Crane designed. The tapestry is also something that interested Crane as a designer with its imaginative crest and details all harkening back to an invented medieval past which is consistent with his following of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Crane is educating children not just about 'fine' art, but also about design trends of the day. It is interesting to note that Morna O'Neill, an art historian who has worked extensively on Crane, believes that the imaginative gardens created by Crane and his personified flowers are meant to represent a socialist ideal. This idea can be more fully explored in some of Crane's other works, but parts of it can be seen in pictures like this, where the women are working together to show their craft.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Dresses

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