Glasgow and its School of Art was a great influence on British art and design in the early twentieth century. The distinctive embroideries designed and worked by Glasgow School of Art teachers including Jessie Newbery and Ann Macbeth, and their pupils, were an important element of the style. The embroideries were often worked on natural linens, with bold areas of appliqué and plain stitching techniques, which were influential on the craft’s later development. Ann Macbeth was a prolific designer, and her work was reproduced in several forms by other companies including Liberty & Co.

This embroidered picture is in its original frame, with a Liberty label. The design cannot be securely identified as by Ann Macbeth but it is close to her style, and evidence may be found with further research. The same design was produced as a printed silk cover in the V&A collection (T.182-1992), and Liberty catalogues of 1912-13 show that it was also available as a printed silk cushion, a silk lampshade and a child’s nightdress ‘sachet’. Barbara Morris states in Liberty Design (London, 1989, p.57) that of the embroideries sold by Liberty, either completed or as kits, the ‘most original’ were by Ann Macbeth. This embroidery design and its use for other products demonstrates the impact of the Glasgow School of Art style on Liberty’s range of small, accessible home furnishings and gifts.