Amish: The Art of the Quilt [Hardcover]

Robert Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1990

Celebrating the design, techniques, colors, and artisans of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a beautifully illustrated tour of the Esprit collection of Amish quilts highlights works that were created between 1870 and 1950.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Deep, vibrant tones of plum, burgundy, teal and hunter green in patterns as starkly simple as Bars or as sprightly as Sunshine and Shadow sing forth from the 82 quilts, selected from San Francisco's Esprit collection, pictured on these large-format pages. Designed and stitched by Pennsylvania Amish women between 1870 and 1950, the quilts exemplify the values in a religious culture that, as art critic Hughes notes in the introduction, "puts tremendous premium on stable order and material adequacy." Pieced from unpatterned cloth and arranged in geometric patterns, the quilts are vivid and modern in effect, demonstrating, in Hughes's view, "how absurd the once jealously guarded hierarchical distinctions between 'folk' and 'high' art can be." Silber, curator of the collection, provides brief, informative commentaries. Most eloquent, however, are the quilts themselves.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The 82 lovely colorplates of outstanding pieces in the Esprit quilt collection in San Francisco, in addition to an enjoyable introductory text by famous art critic Robert Hughes, ensure that this book's reader will appreciate Amish quilts as true works of art. All were made in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, between 1950 and 1970. They are prime examples of the power of the Amish quiltmaker. Special focus is given to the quilts' intricate stitching. Any school, public, or academic library will find this a wonderful addition to its crafts and art collections. Iva Freeman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 207 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1st edition (September 29, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394587812
• ISBN-13: 978-0394587813
• Product Dimensions: 14.8 x 14.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,187,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Hughes was born in Australia in 1938 and has lived in Europe and the United States since 1964. Since 1970 he has worked in New York as an art critic for Time Magazine. He has twice received the Franklin Jeweer Mather Award for Distinguished Criticism from the College Art Association of America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent investment for lovers of Amish quilts., March 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Amish: The Art Of The Quilt (Paperback)

Amish: The Art of the Quilt by Robert Hughes chronicles the quilt collection at Esprit corporate headquarters in San Francisco. Begun haphazardly by Doug Tompkins in 1971 as a way to cover bare office walls, it has evolved into a showcase of exquisite examples of Amish artistry.

Robert Hughes writes a concise history of the Amish people and their distinctive quilts. But best of all are the 9" by 9" full-color plates of 82 representative quilts. Julie Silber, who became the collection's curator in 1983, shares her comments on each quilt, pointing out its adherence to or deviation from Amish tradition.

This book represents an excellent investment for all lovers of the vibrant colors and intricate stitching so characteristic of Amish quiltmaking.

reviewed by Andrea R. Huelsenbeck

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars quilt art, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Amish: The Art Of The Quilt (Paperback)

a book with a text written by one of the most important art critics. Finally quilts seen as art pieces. An incredibly beautiful collection of amish quilts to show you the world of this religious group artistic crafts. If you look for new ideas for your quilting palette, don't miss this book.