Pa. German Linen Towel
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 61.4 x 52.1 cm (24 3/16 x 20 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
1943.8.3716
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of's showcase of American folk art! *Pa. German Linenel*, created around 1937 by Philadelphia artist Frances Lichten, is vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 61.4 x 52.1 cm. This detailed depiction captures the intricate patterns of a traditional Pennsylvania German linen towel, a textile from the region's Dutch (Deutsch) immigrant communities in the 18th and 19th centuries. for their bold geometric motifs, floral designs, and symbolic embroidery, these towels were practical household items often used as decorative hangings or gifts...
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...