Burgoyne Surrenders or Burgoyne Surrounded Quilt

Martha A. Page

1852 · Cotton · The American Wing

The geometric pattern of this quilt--commonly known as Burgoyne Surrenders or Burgoyne Surrounded--is said to refer to one of the most pivotal events in the American Revolution. In 1777, the British failed in their attempt to take control of the strategic Hudson River, and in the end British General Burgoyne with nearly six thousand of his men were surrounded by American troops and forced to surrender near Albany, New York. In this quilt, Burgoyne’s army is represented by the squares at the center of the blocks, encircled by the American troops. Yet, this design could have also been inspired by the simple, grid-like patterns seen in handwoven linens and woolen coverlets of the first half of the nineteenth century

Artist

Martha A. Page

Date

1852

Medium

Cotton

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Louis and Virginia Clemente Foundation Inc. Gift, 2017