Coverlet
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 58.7 x 45.6 cm (23 1/8 x 17 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 92" long; 82" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.2642
Art Historical Context
Eva Wilson's *Coverlet* (c. 1939) is a vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, meticulously capturing the intricate patterns of a traditional American bedcover measuring 92 by 82 inches. Created part of the Index of American Design—a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from 1935 to 1942—this artwork exemplifies the era's effort to document and celebrate the nation's folk art heritage amid the Great Depression. Wilson's detailed depiction, scaled to 23⅛ × 17⅞ inches, preserves the coverlet's woven motifs, likely featuring geometric or floral designs common in 19th-centu...
About the Artist
Eva Wilson
Eva Wilson is an artist whose biographical details remain largely unrecorded. No confirmed dates of birth or death, geographic origin, or records of formal training have been identified in the historical literature, and her nationality is not definitively established. Her surviving works, held across various collections, indicate a sustained creative practice. The range and volume of pieces attri...