Comb
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 23.1 cm (12 x 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.2384
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate rendering *Comb* by Hester Duany, around 1939 as part of the Index of American Design. This watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil work on paper measures just 30.5 x 23.1 cm, capturing the intricate details of an everyday American object with meticulous precision. Duany, one of many skilled artists employed through the Federal Art Project, a simple comb—likely a folk craft or historical artifact—into a vibrant celebration of utilitarian beauty. The Index of American Design, launched in 1935 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, aimed ...
About the Artist
Hester Duany
Hester Duany (1891–1964) was an American artist best known for her meticulous renderings of traditional American folk art objects as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. Working out of the New York City Project, Duany contributed dozens of watercolor and graphite drawings on paperboard that captured the intrica...