Boy Doll
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.9 x 24.5 cm (12 3/16 x 9 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 18" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15360
Art Historical Context
**Boy Doll**, a captivating watercolor, gouache, and graphite rendering by Eugene Croe from around 1937, brings to life an 18-inch folk art doll through meticulous detail on a modest 30.9 x 24.5 cm sheet of paper. Part of the National Gallery of's esteemed Index of American Design collection this work exemplifies the precision of traditional craft objects, capturing the doll's form, fabrics, and subtle expressions with a blend of translucent watercolor washes, opaque gouache highlights, and fine graphite lines for texture and contour. Created under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) duri...
About the Artist
Eugene Croe
Eugene Croe (c. 1875–1953) was an American artist whose career is primarily documented through his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the 1930s and 1940s. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists to create precise illustrations of American folk art, decorative arts, and everyday objects, preserving a visua...