Comb

Art Historical Context

**Comb**, created around 1939 by artists Daniel Marshack and Gertrude Lemberg, is a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 27.3 x 22.2 cm. This piece captures the intricate details of an everyday American comb, transforming a humble utilitarian object into a work of art through precise lines and subtle color washes. The use of watercolor evokes texture and sheen, while graphite adds fine contours, highlighting the comb's craftsmanship—likely a folk or vernacular design from America's decorative arts tradition. As part of the *Index of American Design*, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, this drawing served a vital purpose during the Great Depression. Hundreds of artists like Marshack and Lemberg documented thousands of American objects—furniture, tools, quilts, and more—to create a visual catalog of the nation's cultural heritage. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it preserves designs that might otherwise be lost, celebrating regional ingenuity and everyday artistry. Today, *Comb* reminds us how ordinary items reflect broader stories of innovation and tradition. Its technical precision not only aids scholarship but invites visitors to appreciate the beauty in the functional, bridging art history with American identity.