Pieced Quilt c. 1936

This is Maud M. Holme’s ‘Pieced Quilt’, made at an undetermined date. Looking at the rendering of this quilt, I see someone thinking through their process. It's that beautiful, obsessive, dedicated mark-making that makes you really feel the artist's presence. The textures are all described with a very fine touch. The blue border, made of tiny dots, and the subtle gradations of the central area. Look at that corner detail – the way the blue squares create a kind of step pattern is so carefully observed. It's as if the act of drawing each stitch brings the whole quilt into being, right there on the page. This reminds me of some of the renderings of textiles made by the Bauhaus artists. It's not just about representation; it's about understanding the structure, the rhythm, and the inherent beauty of these everyday objects. Quilts, like paintings, are built up slowly, carefully, one step at a time.