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L'Huitre & Les Plaideurs

Sampler
1741 (completed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Hand embroidered in dark red silk threads on écru linen mesh canvas using cross stitch, stem stitch and Alerian eye stitch. The sampler shows alphabets (mostly without the letters j or u), numerals, and an excerpt from a poem by Nicolas Boileau.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleL'Huitre & Les Plaideurs (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Silk threads hand embroidered on linen mesh canvas
Brief description
Sampler worked with a verse from the fables of La Fontaine; made in the UK by Mary Smith, 1741
Physical description
Hand embroidered in dark red silk threads on écru linen mesh canvas using cross stitch, stem stitch and Alerian eye stitch. The sampler shows alphabets (mostly without the letters j or u), numerals, and an excerpt from a poem by Nicolas Boileau.
Dimensions
  • Height: 31.5cm
  • Width: 22.7cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • Un jour, dit un Auteur, n'importe en quel Chapitre/ Deux voyagers a jeun rencontrerent une Huitre,/ Tous deux la contestoient lorsque dans leur chemin/ La justice passa, la Balance a la main./ Devant elle a grand bruit ils expliquent la chose,/ Tous deux avec depéns veulent gagner leur cause/ La justice pesant ce droit litigieux,/ Demande l'Huitre, l'ouvre, & l'avale a leus yeux;/ Et par ce Arrêt terminant la bataille:/ Tenez, voila, dit elle, a chacun une Ecaille/ Des sottises d'autrui nous vivons au Palais:/ Messieurs, l'Huitre étoit bonne. Adieu, vivez en paix. [original spellings] (Concluding lines from the poem 'A M. L'Abbé des Roches' by Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, 1669. 'L'Huitre et les Plaideurs' is in fact the title of one of the 'Fables' in verse form published on the same subject by Jean de la Fontaine 1668-94.)
    Translation
    One day, says an Author, no matter in which chapter/ Two travellers with empty stomachs came upon an oyster,/ Both of them disputed it along the way/ Justice passed by, her scales in her hand./ Before her, with much fuss, they explain the matter,/ Both wish to win their case with costs/ Justice weighing this doubtful law,/ Asks for the oyster, opens it and swallows it before their eyes;/ And by this adjudication putting a stop to the fight:/ Take, there, she says, each of you a shell/ We make a living from the follies of other people at the Palais [de Justice - the law courts]:/ Gentlemen, the oyster tasted good. Farewell, live in peace.
  • Mary Smith 1741
Credit line
Gift of Clover Southwell
Production
Reason For Production: Private
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
MISC.956-1988

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Record createdSeptember 5, 2005
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