Beaded Bag
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 49.1 x 36.3 cm (19 5/16 x 14 5/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3173
Art Historical Context
**Beaded Bag** by Frank C. B, created around 1937, is a captivating watercolor, gouache, and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 49.1 x 36.3 cm. This work belongs to the prestigious Index of American Design, Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress AdministrationWPA) during the Depression. Barks meticulously documented a traditional beaded bag, preserving its intricate patterns and craftsmanship for posterity in an era when economic hardship threatened such cultural artifacts. The Index of American Design, active from 1935 to 1942, employed artists across the U.S. to cr...