Quilt Patches
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28 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
1943.8.1005
Art Historical Context
"Quilt Patches" Edward White, created around 1938, is a captivating watercolor and gouache rendering on paperboard, measuring 11 x 9 inches. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA)— work exemplifies the era's effort to document and celebrate America's folk art heritage during the Great Depression. White one of many talented artists commissioned for the project, meticulously captured the vibrant patterns and textures of traditional patches, preserving designs that reflected everyday creativity and craftsmanship. ...
About the Artist
Edward White
Edward White remains a figure whose life and training are not well documented in surviving historical records. No confirmed birth or death dates, nationality, or institutional affiliations have been established, making it difficult to place him within a specific artistic tradition or school. Despite the scarcity of biographical information, White produced a body of work that has been preserved in...