Knitting etched in bronze
While in Washington, D.C., attending the Romance Writers of America conference, I took a little time off for sightseeing. Look what I found in the Corcoran Gallery: A bronze sculptural relief by Thomas Eakins of, yes, a woman knitting (with a cat under her chair, a detail I loved).
It was an 1883 commission to decorate the swanky new Philadelphia townhouse of James P. Scott. There's evidently a companion piece of "Weaving". How cool that Eakins chose to celebrate the fiber arts in bronze!
It was an 1883 commission to decorate the swanky new Philadelphia townhouse of James P. Scott. There's evidently a companion piece of "Weaving". How cool that Eakins chose to celebrate the fiber arts in bronze!
posted by Nancy Herkness at 12:22 PM
4 Comments:
Interesting that the artist called this piece "knitting" when there's no needles or yarn visible. I'd say, myself, it looked more like tatting from the position of the hands. Or maybe even, unpicking an item?
/lw
That is way cool!
I like that - very cool...especially the cat under the chair...
Funny you mention that, Anonymous! I was kind of wondering about the lack of needles and yarn myself. I figured maybe Mr. Eakins just didn't know all that much about how one knitted, but I give him credit for understanding how worthy a subject for art it is.
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