Dress
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 44.6 x 36.2 cm (17 9/16 x 14 1/4 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.1357
Art Historical Context
Behold *Dress*, a captivating watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering by Aurelia Arbo, created around 1937. Measuring 44.6 x 36.2 cm, this delicate work on paper captures the elegance of American fashion design with meticulous detail, showcasing Arbo's skill in blending soft watercolor washes for fabric textures, precise graphite shading for form, and fine ink lines for intricate patterns and seams. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this piece exemplifies a national effort to document and celebrate everyday American arti...
About the Artist
Aurelia Arbo
Aurelia Josephine Coralie Arbo (1909–1993) was an American artist and educator renowned for her contributions to the Newcomb Pottery tradition, a cornerstone of the Arts and Crafts movement in early 20th-century Louisiana. Born on November 29, 1909, in New Orleans to piano tuner Henry Arthur Arbo and Henrietta Caroline Geier, she was one of nine children in a large family that nurtured her artisti...