Materials from Patchwork Bedspread
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.2 x 27.4 cm (13 7/8 x 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.1001
Art Historical Context
**Materials from Patchwork Bed** by Frances Lichten, around 1936, captures the vibrant essence of American folk craftsmanship through watercolor, gouache, and on paperboard. Measuring 35.2 x 27.4 cm, this study showcases the diverse fabrics and patterns that would compose a traditional patchwork bedspread—a testament to the resourcefulness of American homemakers who transformed scraps into artful designs. As part of the *Index of American Design*, New Deal-era Federal Art Project (1935–1942), Lichten's work documents the nation's rich decorative arts heritage during the Great Depression. Spon...
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...