Quilts and Color presents more than sixty graphically bold American quilts from the Pilgrim/Roy Collection, one of the finest and largest collections of quilts in the world. Influenced by twentieth century art developments such as Abstraction, Op Art, and the Color Field movement, Paul Pilgrim and Gerald Roy were among the first to appreciate quilts as more than simply decorative bedcovers, women’s fancy work, or symbols of a rustic past. Reproduced brilliantly and arranged by ideas based in color theory—among them Vibrations, Mixtures, Harmonies, Gradations, Contrasts, Variations, and Optical Illusions—each quilt in this book is celebrated as a unique work of art. The accompanying text also sheds light on the social and cultural history of the quilts and the practices and aspirations of their mostly anonymous makers, who created works of such enduring beauty and arresting visual impact. Exhibition Schedule 4/6/2014—7/27/2014 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Pamela A. Parmal is David and Roberta Logie Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Jennifer M. Swope is Curatorial Research Consultant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.