Skip to Content
Closed today, next open Thursday. Closed today, next open Thursday.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Bedcover

A work made of cotton, plain weave; quilted and stitched in trapunto technique.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of cotton, plain weave; quilted and stitched in trapunto technique.

Date:

1819

Artist:

Ursula Whittelsey (American, 1796-1875)
Saybrook, Conneticut, United States

About this artwork

The execution of this elegant bedcover required great skill and an immense commitment of time on the part of the maker. In the 18th century, white bedcovers were mainly a privilege of the wealthy, as they were difficult to keep clean, but American production of cotton reduced the monetary investment involved in whole cloth quilts. A direct descendent of John Whittlesey (1623–1704), an original settler of Saybrook, Connecticut, Ursula Whittlesey was the daughter of Ambrose Whittlesey (a sailor by profession) (1761–1827) and Ann Waterhouse (1758–1838). She married Edward Sanford (1798–1888), a farmer, in 1828. The donor of the bedcover was the maker’s granddaughter.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Ursula Whittelsey (Maker)

Title

Bedcover

Place

United States (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1819

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; quilted and stitched in trapunto technique

Inscriptions

(Lower center): Ursula Whittelsey, 1819

Dimensions

235.7 × 231.1 cm (92 3/4 × 91 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Ella R. Sanford

Reference Number

1945.98

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/53003/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms