Name/Title
Towel, Wallhanging, Christmas: Christmas Kitchen 214Description
A six-color silkscreen print on off-white linen depicting holiday decorations and holiday baking.
Holiday ornaments include angels, blown glass ornaments, a honeycomb red paper bell, a Christmas tree standing in a decorated bucket and green pine-boughs.
Holiday food items include ribbon candy and decorated gingerbread cookies in many shapes, some with Christian significance: a star, angels and a fish. Secular shapes include: reindeer, an eagle, and possibly a dog.
At lower right, a woman in a dress and apron holds a carved rolling pin in one hand and a wooden bowl of gingerbread cookies in the other. Her apron strings and dress hem are in the undulating shape of ribbon candy. A baby sits in a cradle below the Christmas tree, possibly symbolizing the birth of Jesus,
At the border, mixed with pine boughs, is the first line of the traditional Christmas carol, “Deck the Halls”, in order from left:
“Deck the halls with
boughs of holly
fa la la la la”
At bottom, in green script is the name of the print, “Christmas Kitchen”. Country Prints produced several variations on this theme.
This print was marketed for use as a kitchen towel, wallhanging, or table runner, and is described in a c.1955 price list, “214 Christmas Kitchen — All the symbols that go to make Christmas an Art Form as well as a solemn celebration. Gay colors on white linen.”Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Robert Darr WertRole
ArtistManufacturer
Country PrintsDate made
circa 1952Time Period
20th CenturyPlace
Location
Gill MA.Continent
North AmericaNotes
Edges are straight stitched and fringed.Inscription/Signature/Marks
“ROBERT DARR WERT BY HAND”, in block print, lower right corner.Dimensions
Height
26-1/2 inWidth
17 inMaterial
Bleached Linen, Textile InkColors
Color
Yellow Ochre, Red, Green, Mauve, Brown, BlueColor Notes
Some shading is achieved by overprinting two or more colors.
