Hat
c. 1940
Medium
graphite and watercolor on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.2 x 23.1 cm (11 1/2 x 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.2842
Art Historical Context
Hedwig Emanuel's *Hat* (c. 1940) is a delicate rendering from the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project initiative during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, the Index commissioned artists across the U.S. to precise watercolor studies of everyday American objects—from folk art to crafts—preserving the nation's design heritage amid economic hardship. Emanuel, a skilled illustrator, captured the elegance of this hat, likely a fashionable women's accessory from the era, highlighting mid-20th-century millinery trends with their structured shapes and decorative flair. Rendered in...