Eagle
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.8 x 40.6 cm (11 5/16 x 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
1943.8.16362
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *Eagle* by Flora Merchant, a watercolor and graphite rendering on paper from the Index of American Design, created between 1935 and1942. Measuring .8 x 40.6 cm, this work is part of a groundbreaking New Deal-era project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA During the Great Depression, over 200 artists meticulously documented thousands of American folk art objects, crafts, and designs through precise, life-sized watercolor studies. Merchant's contribution preserves a quintessential symbol of American identity—the eagle—in vivid detail. Crafted with watercolor for lu...