Coverlet (Section)
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 26.8 cm (14 1/16 x 10 9/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.582
Art Historical Context
**Coverlet (Section)** Ruth M. Barnes invites visitors to explore the intricate beauty of American folk textiles through a meticulous rendering created around 1940. This delicate watercolor, gouache, and graphite drawing on paper captures a section of a traditional coverlet woven bedcovering prized for its bold patterns and craftsmanship. Measuring 35.7 x 26.8 cm, it exemplifies the precision of Barnes's hand, preserving the vibrant colors and textures of these everyday heirlooms from America's past. As part of the *Index of American Design*IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from ...
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...