Materials from Patchwork Bedspread
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 28 cm (14 x 11 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.998
Art Historical Context
Frances Lichten's *Materials from Patchwork Bed* (c. 1936) is a vibrant watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard, measuring 14 x 11 inches. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this work meticulously documents the fabrics and patterns used in traditional American patchwork quilts. Lichten, a skilled illustrator for the project, captures the tactile essence of these everyday materials, transforming humble textiles into celebrated art. The Index aimed to preserve America's folk art heritage during the Great Depression,...
About the Artist
Frances Lichten
Frances Lichten was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, in 1889. At fourteen she enrolled in the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Art, where she studied design and interior decoration, while also pursuing landscape painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating she worked as a commercial artist for nearly a decade, building the technical foundation that would later serve...