Rag Doll
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 33.9 x 26.2 cm (13 3/8 x 10 5/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 7" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15425
Art Historical Context
### Rag Doll by Verna Tallman Step into the whimsical world of American folk art with *Rag Doll*, a delightful watercolor, graphite, and gouache rendering by Verna Tallman, created around 1937. Measuring 33.9 x 26.2 cm, this work captures the endearing simplicity of a 7-inch-high handmade doll, stitched from fabric scraps with button eyes and a stitched smile. Tallman's precise yet playful depiction highlights the charm of everyday childhood treasures from early 20th-century America. As part of the *Index of American Design*—a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Admin...
About the Artist
Verna Tallman
Verna Tallman remains a figure about whom the historical record has preserved very little. No birth or death dates have been established, and her nationality and training are not documented in major reference sources. The works attributed to her suggest an engagement with decorative or illustrative traditions, though without more contextual documentation it is difficult to place her within a spec...