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Object Label

Anna Williams, a quilt-maker born and raised near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, made quilts throughout her life, incorporating scraps of traditional printed cottons, unusual synthetics, and woven or decorated fabrics such as the sequined pieces seen here. The artist’s bold approach combines traditional block settings with free-flowing improvisation and an expert use of color.

In the late 1980s, Williams’s unique style of quilt-making was recognized by artists and collectors, who encouraged her to exhibit and sell her work. This was the first quilt by a known African American maker to enter the Brooklyn Museum collection.

Caption

Anna Williams American, 1927–2010. Quilt, 1995. Cotton, synthetics, 76 1/4 x 61 1/2 in. (193.7 x 156.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift in memory of Horace H. Solomon, 2011.18. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.2011.18.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Quilt

Date

1995

Medium

Cotton, synthetics

Classification

Textile

Dimensions

76 1/4 x 61 1/2 in. (193.7 x 156.2 cm)

Markings

Handwritten on sewn label on reverse: "CV/Anna Williams/1995"

Credit Line

Gift in memory of Horace H. Solomon

Accession Number

2011.18

Rights

No known copyright restrictions

This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

Frequent Art Questions

  • Do you have any idea how long it would have taken to make this?

    We do not have any info on how long it would have taken to make this specific piece. However, quilting is labor intensive work. It would be safe to estimate several weeks or even months depending on how much time the individual spent on it per day.
    Thanks.

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