Quilt 1937

This quilt, made by Jacob Gielens, is a hand-sewn beauty of geometric and floral forms in pink, blue, and green hues. Imagine Gielens bending over his work, piece by piece, arranging, stitching, and coaxing the materials. It's like he's improvising, trying different moves. I can imagine his delight in this back-and-forth, building up the design, one patch at a time. I see something really innovative in the layout and repetition of forms. This textile reminds me of the quilts made by the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Like those works, it brings folk traditions into conversation with the formal language of painting, pushing beyond the historical divide between craft and fine art. It's a testament to the power of exchange. Art inspires art, and it’s a deeply human thing.