Decoy
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.3 x 24.4 cm (11 9/16 x 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9631
Art Historical Context
"Decoy" by Wellington Blewett, created around 1939, is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 29.3 x 24.4 cm. This work belongs to the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942). Artists like Blewett meticulously documented everyday American objects—folk art, crafts, and—to preserve the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it exemplifies how federal initiatives supported artists while celebrating regional ingenuity. The title "Decoy" likel...
About the Artist
Wellington Blewett
**Wellington Blewett (1875–1962)** was a Canadian-born American artist renowned for his meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday American folk objects. Active primarily in the late 1930s, Blewett contributed significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that sought to document the nation's vernacular artistic heritage through...