Panel c. 19th century

This striking Panel, of unknown date, was created by an anonymous artist and is now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Notice how the composition is immediately striking: bold red fields are punctuated by navy and small yellow squares. This creates a rhythmic visual experience, almost like a coded message waiting to be deciphered. The dominant motif is an X shape, formed by what appears to be organic, leaf-like shapes in navy, surrounding a yellow square. These forms exist within fields of red, creating contrast. Horizontally traversing bands also interrupt the large scale X pattern. Consider how the piece challenges fixed meanings through its semiotic system of signs. The artist uses geometric and organic forms to create a visual language, questioning our understanding of symmetry and pattern making. The textile medium enhances this destabilization by contrasting the rigidity of geometric shapes with the soft, tactile nature of fabric. This piece can be interpreted as a structural intervention, where the artist uses form to challenge conventional categories.