Panel for a hand screen (one of a pair)

Art Historical Context

This delicate embroidered panel, one of a pair designed for a hand screen, captures an idyllic pastoral scene from early 18th-century Britain. Worked in wool on canvas, it features graceful women—likely shepherdesses—tended by dogs amid frolicking sheep, with birds perched in leafy trees under a radiant sun. At just 11¾ x 9 inches, its intimate scale suited the elegant hand screens popular among gentlewomen, used to shield delicate complexions from fireplace glow or summer breezes. Crafted anonymously, the panel showcases the meticulous techniques of British embroidery, a cherished domestic a...