Artists, designers, and embroiderers

Artists, designers, and embroiderers

Mary Katrantzou is a fashion designer born in Athens, Greece. She moved to the USA in 2003 where she attended the Rhode Island School of Design, studying architecture. She later transferred to the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. After gaining her BA in 2005, she turned to creating fashion prints. In 2006 she attended the Central Saint Martins Master Fashion Textiles course.

Tom Mor is a West Country (England) artist and cartoonist active from the late twentieth century. He designed several commemorative embroideries, such as the New World tapestry, the Plymouth tapestry and the Bristol Berkeley Plantation tapestry.

Jane Morris (née Burden; 1839-1914) was the wife of William Morris (1834-1896), and the model and muse for both her husband and for the Pre-Raphaelite English poet, painter and illustrator, Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882). Jane Morris was also known to be an accomplished embroideress.

May Morris was the younger daughter of the artist and designer, William Morris and his wife, Jane Morris (née Burden). She was an artist, jewellery maker, writer and editor as well as an embroidery designer. May Morris was involved in her father’s work, notably for the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Art Needlework movement.

John Nelham was an English embroidery draughtsman and materials supplier associated with the Broderers' Company in London.

Jessie Wylie Newbery (1864-1948) was born Jessie Wylie Rowat. She was a Scottish embroiderer and teacher, who studied and worked at the Glasgow School of Art. She was the daughter of William Rowat, a shawl manufacturer from Paisley and political activist, who supported women’s rights. In 1882 she went to Italy and developed a deep interest in textiles and decorative arts.

Augustin Pacher (also called August Pacher; 1863-1926) was a German artist and glass in lead designer. He designed items for the Roman Catholic Church in Germany.

Elisabetta Catanea Parasole was a female Italian lace and embroidery designer who lived in Rome. She was married to Leonardo Norsini, a wood engraver (who adopted his wife's surname after marriage).

Cornelia Ann Parker (1956) is an English sculptor and installation artist who was the creative power behind the Magna Carta embroidery. She has had exhibitions of her work in various countries around the world, including Britain, China and Italy. There are examples of her work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as well as at the Tate Gallery and the Henry Moore Foundation in the UK.

Elizabeth Philip was an embroiderer and silkwoman living in London in the first half of the sixteenth century. She made and dealt in silk trimmings and accessories, as well as making embroidered costumes for court events over a period of at least 26 years.

George Pinckney (also written Pinkney) was the King’s Embroiderer after the restoration of Charles II (r: 1660-1685) to the English throne. Pinckney was given the post of embroiderer in 1660/1, a position he shared with William Rutlish and Edmund Harrison. They were succeeded by J. Moseley (1680).

Antonio Pollaiolo was a fifteenth century Italian engraver, goldsmith, painter and sculptor, who is mentioned by the writer and artist Vasali (click here). 

Jane Poulton (1957) is a contemporary British artist who uses machine and hand embroidery to decorate small items, such as purses. She is well-known for her embroidered pictures of figurative subjects, which often feature small animals and birds.

Harriet Powers was an African-American quilter, who was born into slavery in Clarke County, Georgia (USA). She is famous for her two surviving story quilts. Both items are made of cotton and use appliqué to create pictures.

Peter Quentel (also known as Pierre de Quinty) was a printer from Cologne (Germany) in the early sixteenth century. He was the son of Heinrich Quentel (d. 1501), a printer whose books include a range of Lutheran tracts and treatises. His son, Peter Quentel, printed at least one book on embroidery and lace designs. He is sometimes listed as Pierre de Quinty and described as a French Protestant.

Jose Romussi (1979) is a Chilean born mixed-media artist who uses hand embroidery to embellish photographs. He was brought up in Chile and then went to live in New York (USA). He studied landscape design, but later became known for his prints and collages. He now lives and works in Berlin, Germany.

William Rutlish (also written Ruthick) was a King’s Embroiderer at the court of Charles II of England (r: 1660-1685). He was buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard, parish of Merton (SW19), London.

Kathleen Laurel Sage is a British designer and embroiderer who is particularly known for her metal thread work and the use of soldering irons, heat tools and organza to create her work, which includes a wide range of forms, including three-dimensional creations. She also wrote Embroidered Soldered and Heat Zapped Surfaces.

Charles Germain de Saint Aubin (1721-1786) was a draughtsman and embroidery designer to King Louis XV (1710-1774) of France. His parents were Germain de Saint Aubin and Anne Boissay, both of whom were professional embroiderers. His paternal grandfather had moved from the countryside to Paris and had set up an embroidery atelier.

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