Needlework as Part of the Cultural Imaginary of the ModernBourgeois Woman: La Costurera by Francisco Antonio Cano

Abstract

The artwork La costurera (The seamstress) by Francisco Antonio Cano (1924) is interpreted here through the notions of imaginary, representation, and cultural practice, expanding its cultural meanings beyond aesthetic considerations. It is argued that the artwork was not only a passive effect of a pre-existing imaginary around sewing, but also an active agent in the configuration of a modern imaginary around it. This interpretation is developed in four sections: a theoretical consideration of the notions of imaginary, practice, and cultural representation; a reflection on the imaginary of the modern bourgeois woman; a socio-cultural account of sewing; and a ‘non-aesthetic’ reading of the cultural meanings of Cano’s work.