Patchwork Quilt (Section)
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 34.7 x 28 cm (13 11/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.332
Art Historical Context
Edith Towner's *Patchwork Quilt (Section, created around 1937, is a captivating watercolor, gouache, and graphite rendering on paper that captures the intricate beauty of American folk art. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this work exemplifies the era's effort to document and preserve everyday American crafts amid the Great Depression. Town, a skilled artist in the project, meticulously depicted a section of a traditional patchwork quilt, highlighting the geometric patterns and vibrant textiles that reflect pioneer ingenuity an...
About the Artist
Edith Towner
Edith Towner was an American artist active around 1940, whose name is closely associated with the Index of American Design, the federally funded visual survey of American decorative arts and material culture produced under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. Working in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paper, Towner brought skilled draftsmanship and an e...