Eagle and Stars Bedspread 1935 - 1942

Marian Curtis Foster made this bedspread design with watercolor, showing a soft color palette of pinks and blues. Imagine her there, carefully planning the layout, the eagle with its shield and stars, flanked by those delicate floral garlands. It's interesting to consider the tension between a traditional motif and personal expression here. Maybe she was thinking about her place in the world, her identity, using the colors and the composition as a way to softly assert herself. There's a conversation happening with folk art traditions, but it’s also incredibly intimate. Those watercolor washes create a dreamy, almost ethereal quality. It reminds me a bit of some of Agnes Martin's quieter grids, but with a folksy charm. The translucence of the watercolor allows the woven texture of the paper to show through, adding another layer of visual interest. It’s about making something new from something old, and that’s what art is all about, right?