Noah's Ark and Animals
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 38 x 35.4 cm (14 15/16 x 13 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 3/8" long; 3 1/8" wide; 4 3/8" high; animals: 1 3/4" long; 1 3/8" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7806
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Great Depression, the Index of American Design—a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration—commissioned artists like Ben Lassen to document everyday American folk art. Created between 1935 and 1942, *Noah's Ark and Animals is one such vibrant watercolor, graphite, and gouache rendering paperboard, capturing a wooden toy ark (originally 10⅜ inches long) complete with pairs of carved animals. Measuring 38 × 35.4 cm, this precise study preserves the whimsical details of a beloved 19th-century craft tradition, evoking biblical tales through humble, handcrafted...