About
Arachne’s Apprentice
Linda Craib studied the art of couture embroidery at Lesage, Paris.
Her hand-embroidered work incorporates themes of time, myth, the moon and the stars, and memory. Each piece is one of a kind and is carefully rendered on fine paper, gossamer silk chiffon, or vintage textiles. Works incorporate steel-cut and late 19th century glass beads, vintage ribbons, feathers, and precious or semi-precious stones. Each piece includes a story about its origin, materials, and inspiration.
Linda’s embroidered work has been featured in Town & Country magazine and carried by small museums and upscale retailers. A printmaker, her rendition of the Stairways of Paris was recognized at the juried Boston Printmaker’s 2001 North American Print Biennial by David Keihl, former curator of prints at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The title of the first solo show of her work in 1999 was Arachne’s Apprentice.
The Fable of Arachne (1644–48) by Velázquez
Arachne
In Book Six of his epic poem Metamorphoses, Ovid recounts how the talented mortal Arachne, daughter of Idmon, challenged Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts, to a weaving contest. When Athena could find no flaws in the tapestry Arachne had woven for the contest, the goddess became enraged she was transformed into a spider.
The myth both provides an etiology of spiders' web-spinning abilities and is a cautionary tale, warning mortals to show humility and not to place themselves on an equal level with the Gods.