Bonnet

Art Historical Context

**Bonnet** by Gladys Cook (1935/1942) is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering from the *Index of American Design*, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project initiative during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935 and concluding around 1942, this program employed artists across the U.S. to meticulously document everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative objects. Cook's precise depiction of a historic bonnet celebrates the ingenuity of American material culture, preserving a slice of fashion history that might otherwise fade from view. Rendered on paper in soft watercolors for vibr...

About the Artist

Gladys Cook

Gladys Cook was an American illustrator and commercial artist whose work appeared widely in popular magazines and books during the mid-twentieth century. She is particularly remembered for her contributions to the world of children's illustration and her facility with a range of print media, producing images that were at once technically polished and warmly accessible to broad audiences. Cook's s...