Stitching the Standard
 | |
| Artist | Edmund Leighton |
|---|---|
| Year | 1911 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 98 cm × 44 cm (39 in × 17 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
Stitching the Standard is a painting by British artist Edmund Leighton. It depicts a nameless damsel on the battlements of a medieval castle making the finishing touches to a standard or pennant with a black eagle on a gold background. In a time of peace the woman has taken her needlework into the daylight away from the bustle of the castle.
The painting represents a late Pre-Raphaelitism, when life was untarnished by World War I. Stitching the Standard is probably listed as The Device by Leighton's biographer Alfred Yockney among the pictures from 1911.[1]
Provenance
On 23 April 1928 the painting appeared at Christie's under the title Preparing the Flag and was bought by W. W. Sampson.[1] On 26 September 1977, as Awaiting his Return, it was bought by Richard Green at Phillips.[1] On 27 June 1978, as Stitching the Standard, the painting was sold at Sotheby's in Belgravia to a private collector.[1]