Theorem stencil, sometimes also called theorem painting or velvet painting, is the art of making

stencils Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface, by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object, to create a pattern or image on a surface, by allowing the pigment to reach ...

and using them to make drawings or paintings on fabric or paper. A vogue for theorem stencil painting began in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

at the turn of the 18th century and through the mid-1800s. The art was first taught to women in academies and boarding schools throughout colonial

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

. It continued to be taught into the mid-1800s in many other areas. The designs are traditionally painted on velvet and the work is then framed or matted. The stencils are multiple overlays and designs are always three-dimensional, primitive and stylized in nature. The resulting design is bridgeless—there are no gaps in between the overlays. Subjects often included foods, scenes, and symbols that were popular in the artist's area. It was often referred to colloquially (especially in England) as "Poonah painting", because of its supposed origin in the Indian city of

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

. Few theorem artists signed their work; one of the few to have done so was Emma Jane Cady.

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Painting techniques {{art-technique-stub