Block Print
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 22.6 x 30.3 cm (8 7/8 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
1943.8.3330
Art Historical Context
**Block Print** by George Loughridge, created 1936, captures the essence of American folk art through a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard. Measuring 22.6 x 30.3 cm, this work exemplifies the precision of documentation art, blending soft watercolor washes with detailed graphite to vividly recreate a traditional block print technique rooted in early American printing where wooden blocks were inked and onto fabric or paper for patterns. This piece is part of theIndex of American Design*, landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s that employed artists during the Gre...
About the Artist
George Loughridge
George Loughridge was an American artist active during the 1930s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal initiative, running from 1935 to 1943, commissioned hundreds of artists across the United States to create meticulously detailed watercolor renderings of everyday American fol...