Pieced Quilt (1 Square) c. 1940

William Herbert, born in 1855 and who lived to be almost 100, made this watercolour on paper, which he called ‘Pieced Quilt (1 Square).’ It’s this lovely, careful rendering of a quilt panel. It’s kind of flat, but has a real charm. What's interesting is how the dark outlines define each shape, how the color is laid down so evenly, like it's been filled in. You could say that William Herbert is more interested in the *idea* of the quilt than a literal representation. The red flowers are so bright, and I love how he’s added little bows of light blue to the handle of the basket. What a sweet detail! I like imagining him carefully mixing each color, considering each shape. I’m reminded of other self-taught artists like Bill Traylor or Joseph Yoakum, who had a similar directness of vision. In the end, what we are looking at is a whole world in a little square.