Quilt fragment
ca. 1835
Medium
printed, dyed & painted textiles
Classification
printed, dyed & painted textiles
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Benjamin Ginsburg
Accession Number
1959-145-1
About this artwork
Fragment of a cotton quilt printed in a chintz pattern that has a curving flower arrangement in deep colors of red, blue, orange and green (achieved by printing yellow and blue). Two delicate lace-like bands with S-curves follow the line of the flowers on either side. Background is printed with fine curlicues. A wooden cylinder carved in a relief pattern was used to print the large areas of color while an engraved copper cylinder was used to apply the delicate linear elements in a double process...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...