
"Sunday School Picnic" Quilt
<p>Jennie Trein, an accomplished quilt maker who reportedly made over one hundred quilts, designed this one to commemorate the collected memories of many a Sunday picnic. In a compression of time and space that mirrors the nature of memory, the quilt depicts both recurring and singular events as happening simultaneously. For example, in the border of the quilt, at top right, Trein depicts herself with her small twin daughters en route to the picnic, but in the central picnic scene, she illustrates one of her daughters as an adult, dressed in her nurse's uniform and with a dog on a leash. Similarly, the young couple hiding behind the cabin is also shown eloping on horseback off in the distance.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1932
- Dimensions
- 214 × 213.2 cm (84 1/4 × 84 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Jennie C. Trein
Artist

Mixed media (quilting and folk art installation)
Jennie C. Trein was an American quilter and folk artist from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, who produced over 100 quilts and 63 Moravian putzes, or hand-constructed Nativity scenes, throughout her lifetime. Her work in textile and three-dimensional installation drew from the Moravian religious tradition of her community. Trein's prolific output across both media demonstrates a deep engagement with domestic craft and sacred folk practice.
Full artist profile →Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Jennie C. Trein
- Year
- 1932
- Dimensions
- 214 × 213.2 cm (84 1/4 × 84 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1932-017620
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified