Lady and Quilt
Romare Bearden
American, 1911–1988
Details
Title
Lady and Quilt
Artist/Maker
Romare Bearden (American, 1911–1988)
Date
1985
Medium
Collage and gouache on paper
Dimensions
19 1/2 x 25 1/2 inches
Credit
Bequest of Louisa McIntosh
Accession #
2017.309
Location
Currently not on view
Bearden pictured women and their quilts in multiple compositions, acknowledging their special status in the rural Southern communities of his youth. Quilting was not only a practical domestic art but a communal activity, as women often worked in groups to make them. Bearden wrote, “I feature the quilt because everyone had a beautiful quilt. And the ladies used to gather in the church and all help each other to sew.” The title of this picture gives equal accord to the quilt and its maker. With the quilt on prominent display, Bearden reminds us of its status as an object of value.
Image Copyright
© Romare Bearden Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.