Thursday 28 July 2011

Knitting in a Summery Picture



La Tricoteuse
Lionel Percy Smythe
(1839-1918)
English
Watercolour on paper
Trustees of the Royal Watercolour Society
London
RWS137244
Source: WikiGallery.org

This painting, undated (late 19th/early 20th century?), is full of hazy summer light and a gentle breeze which blows the skirt and apron of the knitter forward, along with the wool. She seems to have paused in working on a stocking or a sleeve, which, though knit in the round, has only two needles visible in the painting. I hope the other two or three needles are just out of view. I would also have liked to see where the wool is coming from – a basket, workbag?

3 comments:

Deborah said...

What a lovely painting.

JoAnn said...

I'd vote for a basket, also a stockinet sleeve that is curling in on itself, hence the tiny-appearing width. That's the problem with impressionists - they didn't understand that years in the future wacko knitters would be analysing minute details! Thanks for the post.

One More Stitch said...

Talk about analysis - wait until you see what I have just found and will post later this week!