Primitive Bust
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 48.8 x 36.1 cm (19 3/16 x 14 3/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17192
Art Historical Context
"Primitive Bust" is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by John Sullivan, created around 1939 as part of the Index of American Design. This WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday American folk art, crafts, and design objects through precise, colorful illustrations. Amid the Great Depression, the Index preserved cultural heritage by capturing the ingenuity of vernacular creators, ensuring their work wouldn't be lost to time. Sullivan's piece depicts a stylized bust, evoking the raw, expressive qualities of "primitive" folk sculptur...