Materials from Quilt
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 22.9 x 27.9 cm (9 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
1943.8.983
Art Historical Context
Dorothy Posten's *Materials from Quilt* (. 1937) captures the tactile essence of American textile traditions through delicate watercolor, gouache, graphite on paperboard. just 9 x 11 inches, this intimate study showcases fabric swatches, threads, and patterns likely drawn from a traditional quilt, rendered with meticulous detail to highlight textures and colors. Posten, working in the realist style favored by the project, brings everyday craft materials to life, inviting viewers to appreciate their subtle beauty. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a Works Progress Administration ...
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...