What is a Masterpiece Quilt?

During my collecting journey, I gained an appreciation for
wool quilts. This one was made roughly 100 years ago
but there's something very modern about it.

Earlier today, I did a lecture for the Columbia River Gorge Quilters Guild in Hood River, Oregon, and the subject was masterpiece quilts. I've done variations on this lecture before, and today I focused on the idea of a masterpiece quilt and how my idea evolved.

Block detail: cotton pieced quilt, unknown maker, c. 1850, Kentucky

In the program description, I asked, "What is a Masterpiece quilt? Masterpiece is a term that's usually associated with the fine arts, such as painting or sculpture. In the world of art, a masterpiece is a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship - an artist's best piece of work. People don't always think of quilts as works of art, but they are! 

Detail, Album quilt by Mary Couchman Small, West Virginia, c. 1850

We started with "best" quilts, the type of quilt collectors were collecting in the 80s, leading up to the time when I bought my first quilt in 1989. The level of skill, dense quilting, expert construction and detail left no doubt that these quilts were masterpieces. They spoke for themselves. Coincidentally, 1989 is the year  I saw my first quilt exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, featuring masterpiece Applique quilts from their permanent collection. 

Economy Patch, c. 1810, New England

Around 2001, wool utility quilts from the late 1800s and early 1900s started to catch my attention. Compared with the early-to-mid 19th century cotton quilts, the wool quilts were a whole different animal. The bold geometry, modern looking designs and often earthy combinations expanded my understanding of what a masterpiece quilt could be. More recently, I've developed a true love for the early 1800s wool quilts, which are often extraordinarily modern looking and visually sophisticated.

Block Detail: scrap quilt, c. 1970 - I call it "Wild Thing"

Toward the end of the lecture, I talked about one of the biggest revelations I had as a collector. In 2002, I saw The Quilts of Gee's Bend at the Whitney Museum in New York. It was just the second major quilt show I'd seen. The exhibition opened my eyes to all types of quilts, in any condition, and expanded my definition of a masterpiece quilt way beyond the wool utility quilts. It even led to what I'm collecting right now- primarily 1970s quilts. 

"Wild Thing" - I think I love you...

The last quilt I showed is a quilt I call "Wild Thing" - and it represents a point at which I was drawn to a quilt, but needed to figure out why. Sometimes the things that are most difficult to understand are most worth getting to know. 1970s quilts, many made of materials such as double knit polyester, are not widely appreciated or collected right now, but I believe some day they will be. 


So, it was a wonderful morning with a great group! And they put on a fantastic quilt show annually in September, so mark your calendars! To check out the Columbia River Gorge Quilters Guild, click here.