Coverlet
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.9 x 26.7 cm (14 1/8 x 10 1/2 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.678
Art Historical Context
This delicate watercolor and gouache rendering, titled *Coverlet* by Ruth M. Barnes (c. 1937), captures the intricate patterns of an American folk textile with remarkable precision. Measuring 35.9 x 26.7 cm, the work showcases Barnes's skill in using gouache's opaque vibrancy alongside watercolor's fluidity to evoke the woven textures and bold motifs typical of traditional coverlets—bedcovers prized for their warmth and artistry in early American homes. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a WPA Federal Art Project from 1935–1942, this piece documents vanishing regional craf...
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...