Chintz Square

Art Historical Context

**Chintz Square** is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by artist Daniel Fletcher, created around 1938. Measuring 62.1 x 48.7 cm, this work meticulously captures a vibrant square of chintz—a finely printed cotton fabric known for its bold floral motifs and glossy finish, originally inspired by Indian textiles but widely popular in America for quilts, curtains, and upholstery. Fletcher's precise depiction highlights the intricate patterns and rich colors typical of 19th-century American domestic textiles, preserving a slice of everyday artistry. As part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, this piece belongs to a monumental effort to document over 15,000 examples of American folk art and design. Artists like Fletcher employed watercolor for its luminous quality and graphite for fine details, creating faithful, life-sized reproductions of historical objects—here, an original 17 x 20½-inch chintz square. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it underscores the IAD's mission to celebrate regional craftsmanship and cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Today, *Chintz Square* invites visitors to appreciate how such humble fabrics embodied American ingenuity and aesthetic joy, bridging colonial imports with homegrown creativity.