Coverlet (Detail)
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 27.8 cm (14 1/16 x 10 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 85" wide; 70" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.580
Art Historical Context
This exquisite watercolor and pen-and-ink rendering, titled *Coverlet (Detail)*, was created around 1936 by Ruth M. Barnes as part of the Index of American Design. Scaled to 35.7 x 27.8 cm (14 1/16 x 10 15/16 in.), it meticulously captures a portion of a full-size coverlet measuring 85 inches wide by 70 inches long. Barnes's precise technique highlights the intricate patterns and textures of traditional American textiles, using layered washes of watercolor for depth and fine ink lines for crisp detail. The artwork belongs to the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project fro...
About the Artist
Ruth M. Barnes
Ruth M. Barnes (1880–1954) was an American artist best known for her meticulous watercolor renderings of traditional American folk textiles as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Active during the Great Depression era from roughly 1935 to 1942, Barnes contributed dozens of detailed studies to this ambitious initiative, which em...