"Luke 2, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks." 18th-19th century

Curator: This needlework sampler, held at the Harvard Art Museums, is titled "Luke 2, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks," by Hannah Ivers. Editor: It has a naive charm. The coloration is subtle, almost faded, which grants it a sense of antiquity, and the stitching is surprisingly complex for what appears to be a simple pastoral scene. Curator: Samplers such as this served as demonstrations of skill for young women. Displaying literacy alongside artistic ability. They were cultural artifacts as much as personal expressions. Editor: The composition is split into two registers, with the visual scene below and textual verse above. The relationship between them is unclear; there's a disconnect in visual rhythm. Curator: The verse lends context. It reinforces the religious narrative represented visually with a particular understanding of moral virtue and domesticity. Editor: I see it as a meditation on balance – between nature and culture, image and text. The fragility of the medium contrasts with the boldness of the scene. Curator: Yes, that contrast does invite one to reconsider the artwork and Ivers's intentions as well as its role in 18th-century society. Editor: Ultimately, it’s the visual impact of Ivers’s work—the color, texture, and balanced asymmetry—that draws me in.