Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
petit point
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Read Next
Vandalized Art list. Combo of EB owned illustration (top) and parent Asset 182294. 4 of 11 The Rokeby Venus by Diego Velazquez was hit with a meat cleaver by Mary Richardson
Art Abuse: 11 Vandalized Works of Art
Painting palette with oil paints and brushes. Rainbow colored paints, arts and entertainment
Art History: The Origins of 7 of Your Favorite Art Supplies
Members of the public view artwork by Damien Hirst entitled: The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living - in the Tate Modern art gallery on April 2, 2012 in London, England. (see notes) (1991) Tiger shark, glass, steel
Vile or Visionary?: 11 Art Controversies of the Last Four Centuries
Sculpture of woman before restoration (left) and after restoration on the exterior of an office building in Palencia, Spain. (art restoration)
5 Art Restorations Gone Wrong
Colorful abstract painting. Contemporary painting. Not a Jackson Pollock. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society
7 Tongue-Twisting Painting Techniques
Discover
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.
Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
14 Tough Questions Answered
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time

petit point

embroidery
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/art/petit-point
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

petit point, form of canvas embroidery similar to cross-stitch embroidery (q.v.), but even finer because of its small scale. The squareness and regularity of the outlines of the forms represented is less apparent at ordinary viewing distance. The stitch used—also called petit point or tent stitch—is worked either in diagonal or horizontal rows across the intersection of the canvas threads. The thread is carried back from stitch to stitch in a uniform manner to ensure that the pull of the thread at the front is consistent.

Petit point was widely used in France in the 17th and early 18th centuries, particularly for pole screens and upholstery covering.