"Women of all times, places, and stations in life have taken needle in hand, either for the most utilitarian of purposes or for artistic reasons. Thsi charming collection of beautiful paintings celebrates the centuries-old iconography of women engaged in needle work and the related arts of knitting, lacemaking, and weaving. Artists have long sought to capture the needlewoman's quiet concertration and artistic endeavor, and many of the loveliest paintings on this theme, from the sixteenth century onward, are presented in this book" --Cover, p. 2.