Materials from Quilt
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 27.9 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
1943.8.970
Art Historical Context
**Materials from Quilt** by Dorothy Posten, created around 1936, captures the tactile essence of American quilting traditions through delicate watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper. Measuring 14 x 11 inches, this intimate study showcases fabric swatches and patterns, rendered with Posten's precise hand to highlight textures, colors, and stitches that defined everyday American craftsmanship. As part of the *Index of American Design*—a New Deal-era Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this artwork reflects a vital effort to document and celebrate the nation's folk heritage during the Grea...
About the Artist
Dorothy Posten
Dorothy Posten was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this ambitious endeavor employed artists across the United States to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and decorative traditions through detailed render...