Earrings and Brooch

Art Historical Context

**Earrings and Brooch created around 1937 by artist Tulita Westfall, a captivating watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper, measuring 35.9 x 27.8 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, piece exemplifies the meticulous documentation of everyday American treasures from the nation's cultural heritage. Produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, Index of American Design employed artists like Westfall to produce over ,000 precise illustrations of folk art, crafts, and design objects. This initiative not only preserved vanishing traditions but also provided vital employment for creatives, celebrating the ingenuity of American craftsmanship amid economic hardship. Westfall's masterful use of gouache for rich, opaque highlights, translucent watercolor washes, and fine graphite lines captures the intricate details of these jewelry pieces with scientific accuracy and artistic flair. By elevating humble earrings and brooch to gallery-worthy status, the work underscores the beauty in utilitarian design, inviting us to appreciate the artistry woven into America's past.