Coverlet Detail
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 28.1 cm (14 x 11 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 69" wide; 78" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.606
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Coverlet Detail* by Ruth M. Barnes, around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This meticulous rendering captures a portion of a traditional American coverlet—originally measuring a generous 69 inches wide by 78 inches—showcasing the woven patterns and motifs that defined everyday folk artistry in the United States. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it exemplifies the IAD's mission to document and celebrate the nation's rich decorative heritage. Commissioned under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the IAD employed a...
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...