Dancing Doll

Art Historical Context

**Dancing Doll** by Selma Sandler, created around 1940, is a vibrant watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering on paperboard, measuring 41 x 27.4 cm. This work belongs to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, the Index commissioned artists across the U.S. to produce meticulous, full-color illustrations of everyday American folk art, crafts, and design objects—preserving cultural heritage at a time when many artifacts were at risk of loss. Sandler's depiction captures a whimsical 14-inch-high dancing doll, likely a folk toy or decorative figure emblematic of American vernacular art. Her skilled use of layered watercolors for rich tones, combined with precise graphite outlines and ink details, exemplifies the Index's goal of documentary accuracy while elevating utilitarian objects to fine art status. This technique allowed for faithful reproduction of textures, colors, and forms, making the doll's playful motion almost tangible. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, **Dancing Doll** highlights the creativity of ordinary American makers and the WPA's role in fostering artistic employment. It invites visitors to appreciate how folk traditions danced through history, blending utility with joy in pre-industrial playthings.

About the Artist

Selma Sandler · 1917–2005

Selma Sandler (1917–2005) was an American artist whose meticulous watercolor renderings played a vital role in documenting the nation's folk art heritage during the Great Depression. Born on March 18, 1917, she contributed to the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project under the Federal Art Project that ran from 1935 to 1942. This ambitious endeavor employed artists...