Pegging Jack
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 40.5 x 29.3 cm (15 15/16 x 11 9/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11920
Art Historical Context
**ging Jack** is a rendering by artist Henry Wal, created around 1938 as part of Index of American Design. ambitious WPA Federal Art Project (19351942) commissioned artists the U.S. to everyday American folk art and through meticulous watercolor studies.deck's precise depiction preserves a charming example vernacular craftsmanship, likely a traditional toy or game piece known as a "pegging jack"—a simple, figure used in playful peg games popular in rural American. Executed in watercolor,, and colored pencil on paper (405 x 29.3 cm), the work exemplifies the Index's signature style: hyper-deta...