Figurehead
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 42.1 x 30.7 cm (16 9/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17289
Art Historical Context
Behold the striking *Figurehead* by Frances Cohen, created around 1938 as part of the Index of American Design. This watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering on paper (42.1 x 30.7 cm) captures the bold spirit of a traditional ship's figurehead—a carved wooden emblem that once adorned the prow of American vessels, symbolizing protection and national pride during the age of sail. Cohen, a talented artist in the Federal Art of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to this ambitious New Deal-era initiative launched in 1935. The Index aimed to document and celebrate everyday American fol...