The queen—a crowned female—is a recurring theme in American folk art and often has religious connotations. In early nineteenth-century seminary schools and ladies’ academies, religious topics were deemed the most appropriate subjects for artistic accomplishments such as needlework and watercolor painting taught to young girls. The story of Moses in the Bulrushes was an especially popular biblical chapter, in part because it spoke to the virtues of motherhood and morality that such schools were dedicated to inculcating in their students. This proficient example was probably copied from a source print provided by the schoolmistress at an as yet unidentified school.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Moses in the Bulrushes," exhibition label for Jubilation|Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012.