Imagine my surprise when I entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw a painting of some lacemakers reproduced on a stancheon in the front hall. . To see this promo picture, which unfortunately is only part of the painting go to http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={983ADA10-CC23-4D6D- A139-35092188E3BB} The painting dates from 1720 and was painted in Milan by Giacomo Ceruti. It is called Women Working on Pillow Lace (The Sewing School) and is in a private collection in Brescia. This is probably why there are no post cards of it for sale, although it appears in the $40 catalogue. Gunnel and I stood in front of it for some time analysing it from a lace stand point. First of all, there is no sewing going on. Secondly, they seem to be making a continuous lace, not the tape lace associated with Milan, although they probably made torchon in Milan as well as tape lace. Thirdly, Gunnel counted the bobbins on one pillow, only 18 bobbins and we opined that it would be unlikely that you could make a piece that wide with so few bobbins. Worse, the card on the piece says that one of the women is reading a book to the others to "break the monotony". "What monotony?" Gunnel and I asked loudly causing members of the public to move away from us uneasily. The exhibit is on until August 15. So if you are planning to come to see Dangerous Liasons, take a moment to see this as well. Devon
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