Pa. German Embroidered Towel
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 55.5 x 44.5 cm (21 7/8 x 17 1/2 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.2888
Art Historical Context
This vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering, titled *Pa. German Embroidered Tow*, was created by artist Frances Lichten 1935 and 1942. Measuring 55.5 x 44.5 cm, it the intricate details of a traditional Pennsylvania German embroidered towel—a cherished example of American folk art. Lichten's precise technique on paperboard highlights the bold motifs, vibrant colors, and symmetrical patterns typical of this craft, preserving its tactile beauty in a two-dimensional form. As part of the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA project during the Great Depression, this pi...
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...