CHARLES II STUMPWORK PICTURE THIRD QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Depicting seemingly an allegory of Harmony flanked by a lady and gentleman, worked in French knot, chain, satin, couching, tent and other stitches, now in a later walnut and parcel-gilt frame.

Ginsburg and Levy, New York.

Liz Arthur, Embroidery 1600-1700 at the Burrell Collection (London: John Murray, 1995), fig. 43.

Overall in good condition. Please note that this work has not been examnined out of frame. Dark bronws have partially oxidized to expose foundation beneath. Some losses to some of the silk stitches. Minor tears to the silk foundation. The frame has wear and rubbing to gilded decoration. Scratches to wood.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Garden scenes were often associated with the theme of love, and here it appears to be the setting for a scene of two lovers coming together in harmony. The small figure of a shepherd in the upper left is an unusual inclusion in this scene of music-making and courtship; however, this has precedent in other needleworks such as the garden scene at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (64.101.1314) that depicts a Cupid and angel in the background (illustrated in English Embroidery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1580-1700, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008), cat. 82). These garden scenes can be contextualized within the tradition of the masque, or the staged spectacle, in which the background figures of the Cupid, angel, and shepherd are actors on a stage.