Covers made for chairs, settees and stools are among the richest sources of eighteenth century pictorial needlework. Sets were embroidered often with a mix of pastoral, biblical and classical scenes, enclosed in approximately matching floral wreathes to give unity to the set. They were undertaken both by professional workshops, and by amateur needlewomen, patrticularly in the form of canvaswork, which was usually worked in the basic counted thread stitches of tent stitch and cross stitch, learnt by most girls as part of their needlework education. Skill at needlework was considered an accomplishment in women, who could demonstrate their expertise by embroidering decorative yet functional items such as chair seats. Sometimes furniture was commissioned specifically to accommodate and display fine embroidery. Engraved illustrations in public circulation might be copied directly or indirectly, to provide subject matter. Chair seat cover About 1730–50 England Embroidered in wool and silk on canvas ground With scene showing Daphne and Apollo Bequeathed by Dame Ethel Locke King Museum no. T.120P-1956 An upholsterer would supply chair covers in different fabrics and styles. This cover of hardwearing canvaswork embroidery is part of a large, unused set for seats and backs. It is worked mainly in tent stitch, which pulls the canvas into a diagonal. This would have been rectified when the cover was fitted to the chair frame. [01/12/2012] canvaswork chair seat, Apollo and Daphne, 1730-50, English This embroidered panel comes from a set of more than 20 intended as covers for chairs and a settee. The scenes depicted on them vary between mythology and pastoral or seasonal pursuits, like skating, but are all characterised by beguiling figures in idealised landscapes, surrounded by abundant flowers. This panel shows the nymph Daphne fleeing from the God Apollo, who had been made to fall in love with her by Cupid’s arrow. Daphne prayed to her father for her form to change, and she became a tree, her arms sprouting leaves, and her legs becoming rooted into the ground. Covers made for chairs, settees and stools are among the richest sources of eighteenth century pictorial needlework. They were undertaken both by professional workshops, and by amateur needlewomen, particularly in the form of canvaswork. This was usually worked in the basic counted thread stitches of tent stitch and cross stitch, learnt by most girls as part of their needlework education. Skill at needlework was considered an accomplishment in women, who could demonstrate their expertise by embroidering decorative yet functional items such as chair seats. While most of the embroidery here is in tent stitch, the faces and hands of the figures are additionally embroidered over with a type of speckling stitch, which gives texture and allows for great subtlety in shading the flesh tones. This work is of very high quality, and indicates the embroidery was done in a professional workshop, rather than domestically, which was the story associated with them in the donor's family. Chair seat, embroidered in wools and a little silk mostly in tent stitch on canvas ground. The central scene is of the nymph Daphne being chased by Apollo who reaches towards her. Her fingers are sprouting leaves, and her legs and feet turning into rooted tree trunks. To the left a river god is watching, crouching by a stream. While most of the embroidery is in tent stitch, the faces and hands of the figures are additionally embroidered over with a type of speckling stitch, which gives texture and allows for great subtlety in shading the flesh tones. There is a deep surround of intertwining flowers, mostly stylized large blooms, on a brown ground. These and the central scene are worked in a range of colours originally vibrant, whose brightness is retained on the reverse. The embroidery has been pulled into a parallelogram shape by the embroidery stitches. It retains its bare canvas edges, which show no signs of the seat having been used. The canvas has selvedges at top and bottom, and is hemmed at each side. On the canvas edge to the right of the worked seat is a small area of trial embroidery stitches carried out in orange and a little blue wool. There are traces of pencil lines on the canvas indicating the shape of the seat to be worked.