The Art of Mary Linwood - (Material Culture of Art and Design) by Heidi A Strobel (Paperback)

About the Book

"The Art of Mary Linwood is the first book on Leicester textile artist Mary Linwood (1755-1845) and catalogue of her work. When British textile artist and gallery owner Mary Linwood died in 1845 just shy of 90 years old, her estate was worth the equivalent of ¹5,199,822 in today's currency. As someone who made, but didn't sell, embroidered replicas of famous artworks after artists such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Stubbs, and Morland, how did she accumulate so much money? A pioneering woman in the male-dominated art world of late Georgian Britain, Linwood established her own London gallery in 1798 which featured copies of well-known paintings by these popular artists. Featuring props and specially designed rooms for her replicas, she ensured that her visitors had an entertaining, educational, and kinetic tour, similar to what Madame Tussaud would do one generation later. The gallery's focus on picturesque painters provided her London visitors with an idyllic imaginary journey through the countryside. Its emphasis on quintessentially British artists provided a unifying focus for a country that had recently emerged from the threat of Napoleonic invasion. This book brings to the fore Linwood's gallery guides and previously unpublished letters to her contemporaries, such as Birmingham inventor Matthew Boulton and Queen Charlotte. By examining Linwood's replicas and their accompanying objects through the lens of material culture, the book provides a much-needed contribution to the scholarship on women and cultural agency in the early 19th century"--

Book Synopsis

The Art of Mary Linwoodis the first book on Leicester textile artist Mary Linwood (1755-1845) and catalogue of her work.

When British textile artist and gallery owner Mary Linwood died in 1845 just shy of 90 years old, her estate was worth the equivalent of £5,199,822 in today's currency. As someone who made, but did not sell, embroidered replicas of famous artworks after artists such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Stubbs, and Morland, how did she accumulate so much money? A pioneering woman in the male-dominated art world of late Georgian Britain, Linwood established her own London gallery in 1798 that featured copies of well-known paintings by these popular artists.

Featuring props and specially designed rooms for her replicas, she ensured that her visitors had an entertaining, educational, and kinetic tour, similar to what Madame Tussaud would do one generation later. The gallery's focus on picturesque painters provided her London visitors with an idyllic imaginary journey through the countryside. Its emphasis on quintessentially British artists provided a unifying focus for a country that had recently emerged from the threat of Napoleonic invasion.

This book brings to the fore Linwood's gallery guides and previously unpublished letters to her contemporaries, such as Birmingham inventor Matthew Boulton and Queen Charlotte. It also includes the first and only catalogue of Linwood's extant and destroyed works. By examining Linwood's replicas and their accompanying objects through the lens of material culture, the book provides a much-needed contribution to the scholarship on women and cultural agency in the early 19th century.

Review Quotes

Heidi Strobel's brilliantly researched and engaging study enriches and expands scholarship on women artists. This book deftly explores Linwood's multiple roles as entrepreneur, educator, exhibition designer, and embroidery artist. Strobel's book challenges common assumptions about art history, material culture, and gender.
Christina K. Lindeman, Associate Professor of Art History, University of South Alabama, USA

Highly readable and beautifully researched, The Art of Mary Linwood restores this multifaceted artist to her rightful place in the history of art, offering a fascinating insight into the remarkable experience of a virtuosic embroiderer, entrepreneur, installation artist, mentor, and educator. Strobel's rich assessment of Linwood's oeuvre illuminates the many ways in which intermedial artforms flourished during this period.
Laura Engel, Professor of English, Duquesne University, USA

Situating Linwood's unique artistic practice in the context of cultural patriotism and the London gallery scene, this long overdue biography and catalogue raisonné has fresh relevance today.
Kimberly Chrisman Campbell, author of Fashion Victims (2015), Worn on This Day (2019), and Skirts (2022).

About the Author

Heidi A. Strobel is Associate Professor of Art History and Curator of the Peters-Margedant House, University of Evansville, USA.