Pa. German Seated Cat
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.2 x 22.7 cm (11 7/8 x 8 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/4" high; 4 1/4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12943
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming *Pa. German Seated*, a watercolor and graphite rendering by Andrew Topolosky, created around 1938. This delicate work on paperboard captures whimsical folk art sculpture from Pennsylvania German tradition—asuring just 6¼ inches high and 4¼ inches wide in its original form. Topolosky's precise depiction highlights the cat's alert posture and stylized features, evoking the, everyday motifs beloved in 19th-century Amish and Mennonite communities. As part the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depressi...