Coverlet

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering of a coverlet captures the intricate patterns of traditional American woven textiles through the careful hand of Arthur G. Merkley. Created around 1939 as part of the Index of American Design, the work belongs to a remarkable New Deal initiative that employed artists across the country to document historic decorative arts before they disappeared. These precise studies served as both artistic records and educational tools, preserving the visual heritage of everyday objects like bedcovers that once graced American homes. Merkley’s choice of watercolor and graphite on paper allowed for both fine detail and subtle color gradations, techniques well suited to reproducing the complex geometric or floral motifs typical of coverlets. The medium highlights the texture and craftsmanship of the original textile while translating its three-dimensional weave into a flat, reproducible image suitable for archives and publications. Today, this piece at the National Gallery of Art stands as a testament to the cultural value placed on American folk design during the 1930s. It invites viewers to appreciate not only the beauty of the coverlet itself but also the dedicated effort to safeguard the nation’s artistic legacy for future generations.

About the Artist

Arthur G. Merkley · 1855–present

Arthur G. Merkley is an artist about whom biographical documentation remains scarce. No confirmed dates of birth or death have been established, and the national or cultural context of his work has not been definitively identified in the scholarly literature. The works attributed to him point to activity likely in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but the precise circumstances of his...