Coverlet
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 26.7 cm (14 1/16 x 10 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 69" wide; 78" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.607
Art Historical Context
**Coverlet** by Ruth M. Barnes (c. 1937) is a vibrant watercolor and gouache rendering on paper, capturing the intricate patterns of a traditional American bedcover. Measuring 35.7 x 26.7 cm (14 1/16 x 10 1/2 in.), this detailed study faithfully reproduces an original coverlet spanning 69 x 78 inches. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection (Department: CG-W), it showcases the geometric motifs and bold colors typical of early American textile arts, evoking the craftsmanship of rural homemakers. Created during the Great Depression as part of the Works Progre...
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...