Tablecloth 1935 - 1942

This color pencil drawing of a tablecloth was made by Elizabeth Valentine, an American artist, at an unknown date. Valentine's design incorporates floral patterns and eagles but also text, naming figures such as ‘WASHINGTON’ alongside locations such as ‘VALLEY FORGE’, thus invoking the foundational history of the United States. Given this subject matter, we might ask: what is the public role of art? This tablecloth design, which may well have been intended for mass production, connects the intimate space of the home to the grand narrative of national identity. This would have resonated in a society where women, though excluded from political life, were often seen as guardians of national values within the domestic sphere. To better understand this piece, we might explore textile production and design in late 19th and early 20th century America. This will reveal the complex ways in which everyday objects can embody powerful social and political meanings.