Border Designs From Proposed Portfolio "Maine Wall Stencils"
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.7 x 35.5 cm (18 x 14 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.18119
Art Historical Context
Step into the folk art traditions of early America with *Border Designs From Proposed PortfolioMaine Wall Stencils by Mildred E. Bent created between 1935 and 1942. This vibrant work on paperboard, measuring 18 x 14 inches, employs watercolor for delicate transparency, gouache for bold opacity, and graphite for precise—techniques that capture the intricate patterns of traditional stencils once used to adorn New England homes. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a landmark WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, Bent's piece documents vanishing regional crafts. Launched...
About the Artist
Mildred E. Bent
Mildred E. Bent remains one of the more elusive figures in early twentieth-century American art, her biographical details largely undocumented in the historical record. She appears to have worked within the traditions of her era, producing a body of work substantial enough to leave a meaningful impression in the collections that have preserved her name, even as the personal circumstances of her tr...