Rediscovering Mary Linwood, Leicester’s Forgotten Embroidery Pioneer
In the early 1800s, Leicester-born Mary Linwood (1755–1845) was one of the most celebrated artists in Britain. Known for her astonishing skill in “needle painting”, a technique of recreating famous artworks in stitch. Linwood built a career that was both groundbreaking and ambitious. She exhibited across Britain and Europe, ran a thriving school for young ladies in Leicester, and in 1809 opened her own gallery in London’s Leicester Square, which was the first ever established by a woman artist. Despite enjoying the patronage of Queen Charlotte and the admiration of the wealthy and powerful of her time, Linwood’s reputation faded after her death, leaving her remarkable story largely untold.
Print depicting Miss Linwood, published ca. 19th century, Harry Beard Collection.
Now, contemporary textile artist Ruth Singer is bringing Linwood’s legacy back into focus with Mary Linwood: Art, Stitch and Life, a major new exhibition on now at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. This is the first retrospective of Linwood’s work since 1951, and it offers a rare chance to view 14 of her embroideries from the Leicester Museums collections, shown alongside new textile works by Singer that respond to Linwood’s life and practice.
Mary Linwood, "Tigress", c. 1798. Embroidery, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, U.S.A.
Singer has spent the past two years researching Linwood’s career, curating the exhibition, and developing her own artworks in dialogue with the historic pieces. “I’ve known about Mary Linwood for a long time,” Singer explains, “but it was moving back to Leicester in 2006 and finding that this amazing textile artist was virtually unknown in her own city that inspired me to do something.”...
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Image Credits:
Lead: Pomeranian Dog (Needlework) by Mary Linwood (1755-1845)
All other images as credited in photo captions.