Mother's Banner of Love and Comfort
1845
Medium
pen and blue and red ink on paper mounted on cotton fabric
Dimensions
sight size: 59.8 x 44.8 cm (23 9/16 x 17 5/8 in.) framed: 69.8 x 54.9 cm (27 1/2 x 21 5/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Accession Number
1971.83.29
Art Historical Context
In 1845, Rebecca Landon created “Mother’s Banner of Love and Comfort,” a drawing rendered in pen with blue and red ink on paper that has been mounted on cotton fabric. This unusual combination of materials suggests the work was meant to function as a lasting, displayable banner rather than a fragile sheet kept in a portfolio. The colored inks lend a lively, personal touch to the composition, while the fabric backing adds durability and a textile quality that echoes domestic needlework traditions of the period. Measuring roughly 60 by 45 centimeters, the piece invites close viewing, its scale ...