Garden Figure

Art Historical Context

**Garden Figure** by Robert Pohle, created around 1939, invites visitors to explore a charming depiction of American folk art. This delicate work, rendered in watercolor, graphite, and pencil on paperboard (measuring 55.8 x 34.5 cm), captures the essence of a ornament—a common feature in early 20th-century American landscapes. Pohle's precise technique blends soft watercolor washes for depth and vibrancy with the fine lines of graphite and colored pencil for intricate details, evoking the tactile quality of carved wood or stone sculptures often placed in home gardens. As part of the *Index of American Design*, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s, this piece holds profound historical significance. Launched during the Great Depression, the Index employed artists like Pohle to document the nation's rich decorative arts heritage, preserving folk objects that reflected everyday American creativity and craftsmanship. Garden figures like this one symbolized domestic pride and whimsy, blending European influences with vernacular styles. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art, *Garden Figure* reminds us of how art can safeguard cultural memory. Its mixed-media approach highlights the Index's innovative documentation style, making intangible history vividly accessible. A delightful window into pre-war America! (198 words)

About the Artist

Robert Pohle · 1855–present

Robert Pohle is an artist about whom the available historical record provides limited documentation. His dates and nationality have not been firmly established, and the circumstances of his training and career remain unclear from currently available sources. The works associated with his name suggest a practiced hand, but without reliable biographical anchors it is not possible to place him confid...