Memorial Paintings and Needlepoint Samplers

A wonderful form of folk art, memorial pictures definitely assure that a loved one will be remembered.   Starting in the 1700's and continuing into the 1800's, memorial pictures tend to show grieving family around a tombstone underneath a weeping willow tree.   Most common are needlepoint samplers and watercolors.

Below are some examples.  I know once you see these you will recognize that you have seen them in antique shops and shows.

Of course there is a reason I am sharing this with you.  I recently found a watercolor commemorating a little 6 year old.  I believe she died in 1818 in a fire,as in the background you see part of a city burning (on the left).  It is actually a watercolor on silk, not paper.  It looks much better in person, but I wanted to share this with you anyway.   I am hunting for a spot to hang it, to be shared later.  

This picture has a mournful willow tree, which actually represents resurrection and rebirth.

Some people may think that these pictures are morbid, but at the time, they were considered an appropriate expression of a family's grief.  They were often done by schoolgirls and considered quite an achievement by the family.  However I have never been interested in things that include a person's hair, which was common in Victorian time.    I know many of you collect samplers.  Check to see which ones are actually commemorative samplers.