Art Institute of Chicago

Sampler

Charlotte Guerin (French-Canadian, born 1755/56)

Date

1765/66

Medium

Linen, plain weave; embroidered with silk in cross, herringbone, stem, satin, and chain stitches; edged with cotton, plain weave

Culture

Canada

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The education of girls and young women in the 18th and 19th centuries in North America focused on preparation for marriage, motherhood, and domestic life. Needlework and sampler making were taught both for practicing stitches but also as a means of learning the alphabet. Samplers were seen as the embroidment of femininity. In this early example, the main field contains two tablets with the Ten Commandments. Beneath this can be found the maker's name, Charlotte Guerin, aged 10 years, and the date of completion, 1765 of 1766. The oldest dated Canadian sampler known was made in 1764.

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