Patchwork Quilt
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.9 x 22.9 cm (11 3/4 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 78" wide; 75" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.428
Art Historical Context
George Loughridge's *Patchwork Quilt* (c. 1936) is a meticulous rendering of a traditional American folk art object, capturing the vibrant geometry of a full-sized quilt measuring 78 inches wide by 75 inches long. Created using watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard (29.9 x 22.9 cm), this work showcases Loughridge's skill in translating the quilt's intricate pieced patterns—likely inspired by everyday fabrics—into a precise, colorful study that preserves its tactile essence on a smaller scale. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era Federal Art Project (1935–42)...
About the Artist
George Loughridge
George Loughridge was an American artist active during the 1930s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal initiative, running from 1935 to 1943, commissioned hundreds of artists across the United States to create meticulously detailed watercolor renderings of everyday American fol...