Coverlet Detail c. 1938

This is a detail of a coverlet, made by Cornelius Christoffels, using watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper. The image presents a network of blue and white squares arranged in an elaborate geometric pattern. At first glance, the organization of the squares may seem a straightforward grid, but look closer and you see the composition is more complex. There is an interplay between the squares arranged in a checkerboard fashion, vertical lines, and diamond shapes, creating a subtle but dynamic tension. The blue and white colors, while simple, are strategically positioned to maximize their visual impact. The weave destabilizes any fixed reading. It challenges fixed meanings, asking us to engage with new ways of thinking about space and representation. The coverlet, ultimately, is not merely a pattern but an exploration of the dialectic between order and complexity, stillness and dynamism. The way Christoffels organized the squares challenges our expectations.