Textile Design with Alternating Vertical Stripes of Undulating Wheat Ears and Undulating Wheat Ears with Circles 1840

This textile design with alternating vertical stripes of undulating wheat ears, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is rendered in watercolor and graphite on paper. The earth-toned palette immediately evokes a sense of organic simplicity. The composition is structured around verticality and repetition. Wheat ears, some adorned with circles, create a rhythmic, undulating pattern that is both visually pleasing and structurally sound. The artist plays with the contrast between the natural forms of wheat and the geometric shapes of circles. This juxtaposition might be interpreted as a semiotic gesture, contrasting organic growth with constructed elements. The undulating quality introduces movement and fluidity to the design. The work operates within a visual language that destabilizes the boundary between nature and artifice. By encoding both organic and geometric forms, the artist prompts a dialogue about the constructed nature of our environment. The repetition reinforces this idea, presenting a world where natural and artificial elements coexist and influence one another.