Pictures in Thread: Late Imperial Russia and Needlework

An online lecture by Dr. Andrea Rusnock

Needlework played a key role in nineteenth century Russian culture and art across all social classes, from the peasantry to the urban elite. Women plied their needles to create and embellish household articles, personal items, and interior décor. In addition to the actual objects themselves there was a plethora of publications relating to needlework produced at the end of the Imperial period. In our August “Second Saturday” online lecture, Dr. Andrea Rusnock will discuss the intersection of these varied elements of needlework in the waning years of the Russian Empire.

About the Speaker

K. Andrea Rusnock received her Ph.D. in art history at University of Southern California under the mentorship of Dr. John Bowlt. She is a professor of art history at Indiana University South Bend with areas of expertise in Russian and Soviet art and material culture as well as Russian Imperial and global needlework. Her first book was on art during the Stalinist era, and she currently is working on her second book, which analyzes images of Soviet women during WWII. She has published articles on Russian needlework in several journals as well as having been the guest editor of the journal Experiment, in the edition focused on Russian and Soviet fashion and needlework.

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Connecting With Zoom

This virtual lecture is presented live via Zoom. Registered users will be emailed a link to join this Zoom program. To get started, please download Zoom on your chosen device and explore the Frequently Asked Questions.

This program will be recorded and posted to the museum’s YouTube channel.