Threaded Histories: Embroidered Portraits

This talk traces the evolution of stitched identities from antiquity to contemporary fine art.

Discover how Nazca and Egyptian stitchers encoded status, and how the narrative scale of the Bayeux Tapestry reshaped historical commemoration.

We examine the revolutionary “needle-paintings” of Georgian artists Mary Knowles and Mary Linwood, alongside the avant-garde designs of Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. Finally, see how modern pioneers paved the way for contemporary artists to redefine portraiture today, proving the needle’s enduring power.