Coverlet (Section) c. 1937

This coverlet section, by Cornelius Christoffels, features bold, red and blue vertical bands that command attention. I’m thinking about the labor and the love that went into this textile. Imagine Christoffels at the loom, meticulously weaving each thread. The process is a conversation, right? With the materials, with the tradition, with his own vision. The texture would be so important – each knot, each weave contributing to the overall feel. It makes me think about artists like Anni Albers, who were also so invested in the language of the loom. And the colors, too! The deep blues and earthy reds create a rhythm that's so visually pleasing. There's a back and forth, a tension. It's like Christoffels is speaking to us, not just through the design, but through the very act of making. He must have been influenced by so many other weavers. Artists are always in dialogue with each other, building on each other’s ideas, you know?