Go big or go home! That seemed to be schoolgirl Catherine Schanck’s motto when she produced this elaborate needlework finishing piece in 1839. Catherine was born in Matawan in 1825. Her parents, DeLafayette and Eleanor Schanck, had a successful farm and tannery business in Marlboro. They invested in their daughter’s education, including her needlework skills. The scene depicts “Belshazzar’s Feast,” illustrating a dramatic moment from chapter five in the Old Testament’s Book of Daniel, when Babylonian king Belshazzar receives a warning from God. This is far more than a simple embroidered panel. Fourteen-year-old Catherine painted portions of the background on the linen fabric, then used both wool and silk threads to depict the draperies, garments, and other items. The faces of the figures are paper, painted in watercolor and gouache over pencil, carefully sewn to the linen backdrop, the embroidered sections holding them in place. This was not a “do-it-yourself” project but was rather overseen by one of Catherine’s teachers. Catherine’s father DeLafayette spared no expense in having his daughter’s needlework masterpiece elegantly framed, including a reverse-painted glass panel with her name and date of completion. Catherine produced at least two large-scale embroidery pieces as a young girl and left them to her daughter Ella in her will. Visit our E-Museum website to enjoy more of the Association’s amazing needlework collection!
Original source can be found here.
