Bolts of Color: Printed Textiles after WWII

The technique of screen printing has its origins in the Song dynasty (960–1279) but found its way to Europe much later. It blossomed in the early 20th century thanks to the fact that it was a relatively quick, easy and cheap process, and artists and designers alike, from Shirley Craven to Rockwell Kent, were spurred by its creative possibilities. The Saint Louis Art Museum is displaying a wide range of screen-printed textiles produced after the Second World War, at the height of the screen-print craze, including Lucio Fontana’s minimalist sateens, Joel Robinson’s Mondrian-esque linens and Althea McNish’s characterful cotton sheets printed with natural imagery, in a display that includes loans as well as some of the acquisitions the museum has made in recent years (8 November–20 April 2025). Find out more from the Saint Louis Art Museum’s website.

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Harvest Time Textile (c. 1950), Rockwell Kent. Saint Louis Art Museum

Roman Candles Textile (1951–52), Joel Robinson. Saint Louis Art Museum

Golden Harvest Textile (1959), Althea McNish. Saint Louis Art Museum