Bedspread c. 1936

This is Mary Berner's design for a bedspread, an ornamental frame of spiraling vegetation painted with watercolor on a woven textile. You can see a lot of care and attention went into its making. The artist makes a light sketch on the fabric before painstakingly embellishing the surface with fine details. Berner uses thin paint and very controlled brushstrokes to construct a border of stylized flowers and leafy tendrils, in a soothing palette of reds, blues, and greens. It’s a really simple but effective composition. I can imagine Berner’s delight in the organic forms. Notice the gentle curves of the vines, the varying shapes of the flower heads, and the subtle gradations of color. The artist’s light touch really creates a sense of harmony. Like the quilts of Gee’s Bend, Berner’s bedspread brings a sense of creative joy to domestic craft. It makes you think about how the impulse to create and beautify our surroundings is an essential human drive.