Pa. German Show Towel
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 71 x 51.9 cm (27 15/16 x 20 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 16 1/2" wide; 54" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3715
Art Historical Context
Discover the vibrant "Pa. German Showel," a meticulous 1937 watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard by artist Frances. Measuring 71 x 51.9 cm, this work faithfully captures an original Pennsylvania German textile—16½ inches wide and 54 inches long—showcasing the intricate needlework traditions of German-speaking immigrants in colonial America. Lichten's delicate use of watercolor brings to life the bold colors and symmetrical patterns typical of these "show towels," which young women embroidered as displays of skill, often hung in homes to impress suitors or visitors. Created as part ...
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...