George III Pictorial Sampler with Hot Air Balloon by Eliza Anderson, c.1805–1820
A wonderfully unusual George III pictorial sampler worked by Eliza Anderson, aged 10 years, in the early 19th century.
Worked in coloured silks on linen, the sampler is centred by a moral verse on the passing of time:
’Tis easy to squander our years
In idleness, folly, and strife
But, oh no repentance or tears
Can bring back one moment of life
But time, if well-spent, and improv’d as it goes,
Will render life pleasant, and peaceful its close.
Above, two large exotic birds flank Eliza’s name amongst flowering plants, while the lower register depicts a substantial red-brick Georgian house, a gentleman in contemporary dress, trees and, most unusually, a striped hot air balloon.
The whole is surrounded by a particularly striking border of individually worked flowering plants contained within a continuous framework of linked green cartouches, finished with a narrow geometric outer border.
The balloon is a wonderfully unusual inclusion. Britain had been gripped by ‘balloonomania’ since the pioneering ascents of the 1780s, when balloon flights became hugely popular public spectacles and their imagery appeared throughout the decorative arts.
There is also an intriguing literary parallel. Ann Taylor’s The Pin, published in Original Poems for Infant Minds in 1804–05, tells the story of a ten-year-old girl named Eliza who is due to go on an excursion “to see an air balloon”. Whether there is any connection with Eliza Anderson’s sampler is impossible to know, but it could be a rather lovely coincidence.
Presented in an early moulded wooden frame with gilt inner ornament.
British, circa 1805–1820.
Condition: Good antique condition overall. The linen has age-related toning with areas of darker discolouration, particularly towards the edges, possibly associated with the old backing. Some puckering and general age-related wear. Colours remain good for its age. No obvious significant holes or major losses visible through the glass. The frame has age-related wear. Please refer closely to the photographs, which form part of the condition description.
Dimensions: 47 x 37 cm overall.
