Bear's Head
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 40.8 x 30.3 cm (16 1/16 x 11 15/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16379
Art Historical Context
**Bear's Head** by Laura Bilodeau, around 1939, captures the spirited essence of American design in watercolor and graphite onboard. Measuring 40.8 x 303 cm, this intimate work belongs to the National Gallery of's Index of American Design (CG-W). Bilodeau's precise rendering highlights the tactile details of a carved bear's head, blending fluid watercolor washes for depth and graphite lines for sharp contours—a technique ideal for documenting three-dimensional objects with lifelike accuracy. As part of the Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, ...