Marionette (Details)
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 38.2 x 52 cm (15 1/16 x 20 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 4" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15647
Art Historical Context
**Marionette (Details by Frank Gray, created around 1937, is a captivating watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard, measuring 38.2 x 52 cm. Part of the prestigious Index of American Design (IAD) at the National Gallery of Art this work meticulously captures the intricate details of a small 4-inch-high marion puppet. Gray's precise depiction highlights the delicate strings, carved features, and whimsical form, bringing to life an everyday object of American folk artistry. Produced under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the IAD was a groundbreaking Fe...
About the Artist
Frank Gray
Frank Gray is an artist whose works are held in institutional collections, though comprehensive biographical information — including birth and death dates, nationality, and artistic training — remains difficult to establish from currently available sources. The relative obscurity of his biographical record is not uncommon among artists who worked outside the major metropolitan centers or the most ...