Prudence Punderson, The First, The Second, and Last Scene or Mortality Flashcards
What was most women taught from a young age?
Handicrafts like sewing, weaving, and embroidery
What was a sampler?
A piece of needlework displaying various stitches, often containing the alphabet or an embroidered verse
What did private academies often teach?
Needlework, music, and watercolor painting
What did one Maryland girl embroider?
“Patty Polk did this and she hated every stitch she did in it, She loves to read much more.”
What colors does the embroidered picture use?
Green, brown, black, gold, and cream thread.
What is the base of the piece?
A silk ground.
What are the measurements of the piece?
13 inches tall, under 17 inches wide
What does the piece depict?
A well-appointed colonial room on Connecticut
What does the title (signed in black ink) say?
The First, Second and Last Scene of Mortality
What is the true meaning behind the piece?
To show the 3 stages of an upper-middle-class white woman’s life.
Was this a self portrait?
Yes
What does the picture in the picture show?
A woman leaning against a wall with a male guard or soldier in medieval garb standing behind her.
What does Punderson depict herself as in the middle stage?
An artist at work
