Stenciled Quilt1830–183183 x 72 " (210.8 x 182.9 cm)Cotton and paintGift of In The Beginning-Quilts, Inc.2002.11.11whole cloth1542973053Olivia Denham BarnesLouisa Denham FarnhamTextilesThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain.ConwayConwayEnglandUnited StatesMassachusettsTextileseMuseum - Collection HighlightsConwayquiltStenciled bedcovers are relatively rare and were made primarily in New England and New York State. The majority of these textiles are composed of large pieces of cloth decorated with paint and are therefore considered as part of the whole-cloth tradition. This example, however, has been pieced, with stenciled decoration interspersed with solid pieces of fabric. The popularity of stenciling on fabric is closely related to the early-nineteenth-century vogue for paint-decorated walls and furniture, as well as the theorems, or stenciled still-life and landscape paintings executed by young ladies on velvet, silk, or paper.Stenciled bedcovers are relatively rare and appear to have been made primarily in New England and New York State. Their popularity was most prevalent during the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when stenciled decoration adorned the interior walls in many homes, and the art of theorem painting was taught to young women in schools. Such bedcovers most frequently combine stenciled and painted blocks with chintz blocks when they are quilted, as in this example. The quilt features twenty stenciled blocks set on point, alternating with printed blocks in the popular "Pheasant and Tree" design, which was introduced by Bannister Hall in England in 1815. The brilliant colors were probably achieved by a combination of watercolor and dyeing techniques and by the use of chemical compounds. A handwritten note that survived with this quilt states that is was made in Conway, Massachusetts, by Olivia Dunham and her sister, in anticipation of Olivia's marriage to Romulus Barnes of Connecticut. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Illinois. There, the quilt passed through the family as a wedding present for each ensuing generation.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Stenciled Quilt," exhibition label for ALSO ON VIEW: Selections from the Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org18301831 2002 11 1 quiltStenciled bedcovers are relatively rare and were made primarily in New England and New York State. The majority of these textiles are composed of large pieces of cloth decorated with paint and are therefore considered as part of the whole-cloth tradition. This example, however, has been pieced, with stenciled decoration interspersed with solid pieces of fabric. The popularity of stenciling on fabric is closely related to the early-nineteenth-century vogue for paint-decorated walls and furniture, as well as the theorems, or stenciled still-life and landscape paintings executed by young ladies on velvet, silk, or paper.Stenciled bedcovers are relatively rare and appear to have been made primarily in New England and New York State. Their popularity was most prevalent during the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when stenciled decoration adorned the interior walls in many homes, and the art of theorem painting was taught to young women in schools. Such bedcovers most frequently combine stenciled and painted blocks with chintz blocks when they are quilted, as in this example. The quilt features twenty stenciled blocks set on point, alternating with printed blocks in the popular "Pheasant and Tree" design, which was introduced by Bannister Hall in England in 1815. The brilliant colors were probably achieved by a combination of watercolor and dyeing techniques and by the use of chemical compounds. A handwritten note that survived with this quilt states that is was made in Conway, Massachusetts, by Olivia Dunham and her sister, in anticipation of Olivia's marriage to Romulus Barnes of Connecticut. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Illinois. There, the quilt passed through the family as a wedding present for each ensuing generation.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Stenciled Quilt," exhibition label for ALSO ON VIEW: Selections from the Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information.
To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.org