Coverlet Detail c. 1937

This is a detail from a coverlet made by Barnes, sometime between 1855 and 1995, showing a pastoral scene of a man next to a house. Note the prominent dove at the top, which sits in contrast to the lower earthly scene. The dove, a classical symbol of peace and purity, has been reinterpreted over millennia. In ancient Mesopotamia, doves were associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, a complex deity embodying both creation and destruction. The early Christians adopted the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, linking it to divine love and redemption. Here, the juxtaposition of the dove above a terrestrial scene perhaps reflects a longing for spiritual harmony within the everyday world. It's a visual echo of our collective yearning for transcendence, a theme that runs through art history, and finds expression in this humble cloth. The persistence of such symbols reveals how deeply ingrained these motifs are in the human psyche.