Doll
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 32.5 x 24.2 cm (12 13/16 x 9 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 7 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15553
Art Historical Context
**Doll** by Verna Tallmanc. 1937) captures the charming simplicity of an American folk art doll, rendered in watercolor, graphite, andache on paper. Measuring 32.5 x 24.2 cm, this detailed study depicts a 7½-inch-high original object, highlighting its delicate form and handmade qualities. Tallman's precise draftsmanship brings the doll's features to life, blending soft washes of color with fine graphite lines for texture and depth. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s, this work documents everyday American crafts during the Great Depr...
About the Artist
Verna Tallman
Verna Tallman remains a figure about whom the historical record has preserved very little. No birth or death dates have been established, and her nationality and training are not documented in major reference sources. The works attributed to her suggest an engagement with decorative or illustrative traditions, though without more contextual documentation it is difficult to place her within a spec...