by Artist (752)
Yvonne Wells (aka Yvonne Thomas Wells)
American, born 1939
Yvonne Wells describes herself, “as storyteller first, and a folk quilter second.” Her art she defines by “the three H’s—what the head sees, what the heart feels, and what the hand can create.” In Amistad, she visually summarizes the story of a 19th-century slave ship rebellion and its aftermath. The figure in the center of the quilt iss Joseph Cinque, the leader of the rebellion, who she describes as “at various times a monster, and a protector”. This massive figure carries in his arms the ship, its captives and crew. His mouth holds a cane knife, used by the enslaved for the torturous work of sugar cane harvest, that bears the message “let me free” on behalf of his fellow captives. Other panels refer to the Africans’ legal process in American courts and their counsel, John Quincy Adams, who fought to have them recognized as free men innocent of murder charges, and culminated in a Supreme Court decision, U.S. vs Amistad (1841), that restored the captives’ freedom.
American, born 1939
Amistad
1998
Object Type:
Textile
Dimensions:
112 x 89 in. (284 x 226 cm)
Medium and Support:
Cotton, cotton/polyester blend, cotton corduroy, polyester and plastic buttons
Accession Number:
2021.0006
Credit Line:
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association Purchase
Copyright:
© Yvonne Wells
Yvonne Wells describes herself, “as storyteller first, and a folk quilter second.” Her art she defines by “the three H’s—what the head sees, what the heart feels, and what the hand can create.” In Amistad, she visually summarizes the story of a 19th-century slave ship rebellion and its aftermath. The figure in the center of the quilt iss Joseph Cinque, the leader of the rebellion, who she describes as “at various times a monster, and a protector”. This massive figure carries in his arms the ship, its captives and crew. His mouth holds a cane knife, used by the enslaved for the torturous work of sugar cane harvest, that bears the message “let me free” on behalf of his fellow captives. Other panels refer to the Africans’ legal process in American courts and their counsel, John Quincy Adams, who fought to have them recognized as free men innocent of murder charges, and culminated in a Supreme Court decision, U.S. vs Amistad (1841), that restored the captives’ freedom.
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