Nuestra Senora
1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 56 x 38 cm (22 1/16 x 14 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 23 1/2"high (scale 3/4"=1")
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6954
Art Historical Context
This 1938 rendering by Polly Duncan, titled Nuestra Senora, was created as part of the Index of American Design. A landmark New Deal project of the Federal Art Project, the Index employed artists during the Great Depression to document America's folk and decorative arts heritage through meticulous illustrations. These works preserved the appearance of countless objects, from furniture to religious sculptures, at a time when many risked being lost or forgotten. Measuring 56 by 38 centimeters, the piece combines watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and heightening on paper to depict an origina...