Quilt Patches
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 22.9 cm (11 x 9 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.990
Art Historical Context
**Quilt Patches** by Dorothy Posten, created around 1937, captures the vibrant patchwork tradition of American folk art in a precise watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard (27.9 x 22.9 cm). This study showcases colorful fabric swatches meticulously arranged, evoking the ingenuity of quiltmakers who transformed scraps into harmonious designs—a hallmark of everyday creativity in rural America. As part of the *Index of American Design*IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from 1935–1942, Posten's work was one of thousands of plates documenting the nation's decorative arts ...
About the Artist
Dorothy Posten
Dorothy Posten was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this ambitious endeavor employed artists across the United States to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and decorative traditions through detailed render...