Coverlet c. 1938

Curator: This watercolor drawing, entitled "Coverlet," was created by Charles Goodwin around 1938. The artwork renders what appears to be a section of a textile. Editor: The intricate patterns! There's such a meticulous arrangement of forms and colors here that evokes a feeling of warmth. The limited color palette enhances this sense. Curator: Goodwin, as you noted, employed a restrained yet sophisticated approach to color, focusing primarily on shades of blue and a complementary terra cotta. Note how these two colors interplay and construct a visual harmony. Editor: Looking at it, I am curious to learn more about Goodwin and the possible inspirations that lead him to create a careful study of this textile fragment. Were they involved in a historical preservation society, perhaps? Curator: It’s an insightful question! The texture is rendered beautifully, so the act of careful reproduction itself suggests an archival impulse, that impulse to freeze time and memory. One wonders what stories and lived experiences this textile may hold and embody. Editor: The materiality of the textile seems especially crucial, doesn’t it? The tactility, now translated onto paper through watercolor, creates an intriguing sensory contradiction. Curator: Absolutely! This image points to the value that Goodwin found in design principles that stem from utility. Every stitch contributes to its aesthetic form. He found a visual poetry that may go unnoticed. Editor: Ultimately, Goodwin’s "Coverlet" invites us to reconsider the art inherent in everyday objects and the cultural narratives they carry. Curator: And how a work like this, made using simple materials and means, asks us to focus on and reconsider not only the visual structure but also its life as a meaningful social object.