Coverlet c. 1941

Regina Henderer stitched this coverlet with thread on fabric. It’s a sampler, and you can see the hand of the maker in the care she took with each little scene and motif. I imagine Regina, like many artists, had her own visual language, a vocabulary of symbols that spoke to her personal world. Look at the way she stitched that figure on horseback, with its confident stance and determined gesture. Or consider the whimsical animals and flowers scattered across the fabric; each one is rendered with a sensitivity to form. I love how artists have always looked to each other, borrowing and transforming ideas across time. This coverlet reminds me of the Bayeux Tapestry, though simpler and more personal. You know, art isn’t just about solitary creation, it’s a conversation, a collective endeavor where artists inspire and challenge each other across time.