Dance Mask
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 39 x 29.7 cm (15 3/8 x 11 11/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12619
Art Historical Context
**Dance Mask** by Joseph Coyle, created between 1935 and 1942, is a captivating watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 39 x 29.7 cm. Part of the esteemed *Index of American Design* (IAD) at the National Gallery of Art this work exemplifies the project's mission to meticulously document America's rich folk art heritage during the Great Depression. Commissioned under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), IAD employed artists like Coyle to produce over 15,000 detailed illustrations of everyday objects, tools, and cultural artifacts—many ...