Jacket
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 36.6 x 32.8 cm (14 7/16 x 12 15/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.1266
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of, where Aurelia Arbo's *Jacket* (c. 1937) offers a vibrant glimpse into America's heritage. This delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 36.6 x 32.8 cm, captures the essence of a garment with detail. Arbo, under the Federal Art Project, employed soft washes of watercolor to evoke fabric textures and subtle graphite lines for precise contours, creating a lifelike study that bridges artistry and documentation. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a WPA initiative during the Great Depression—this piece belongs to a vast archive ...
About the Artist
Aurelia Arbo
Aurelia Josephine Coralie Arbo (1909–1993) was an American artist and educator renowned for her contributions to the Newcomb Pottery tradition, a cornerstone of the Arts and Crafts movement in early 20th-century Louisiana. Born on November 29, 1909, in New Orleans to piano tuner Henry Arthur Arbo and Henrietta Caroline Geier, she was one of nine children in a large family that nurtured her artisti...