Pattern for Man's Shirt

Art Historical Context

This graphite drawing on paperboard, created by Rosalia Lane around 1936, depicts a pattern for a man's shirt. just 11 by 8½ inches, the work belongs to the Index of American collection at the National Gallery of Art. Lane's careful rendering captures the essential shapes and construction lines of the garment, transforming a practical sewing guide into a precise visual record. Graphite was an ideal medium for such documentation, allowing clean, durable lines that emphasize form and proportion without the distraction of color. As part of the Index, the drawing reflects a broader effort to catalog American design traditions, including everyday clothing that embodied both utility and craftsmanship. Lane's contribution highlights how artists of the period preserved the details of ordinary objects for study and appreciation. Viewers today can see in this modest sheet the intersection of art and daily life, where a simple shirt pattern becomes a window onto mid-1930s design practices and the value placed on recording cultural heritage through skilled illustration.

About the Artist

Rosalia Lane · 1855–present

Rosalia Lane is an artist about whom the historical record preserves very limited information. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and the broader circumstances of her training, career, and artistic context remain poorly documented. The works associated with her name indicate a female practitioner whose activity places her within a tradition of accomplished women artists whose...