Rattle
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 24.5 cm (14 1/16 x 9 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/4" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15710
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming *Rattle*, a meticulously rendered watercolor and graphite depiction Rex F. Bush, between 1935 and1942. This 35.7 x 24.5 cm work on paperboard captures a modest 6 1/4-inch-long folk object from everyday American life, likely a child's toy or shaker that embodies the ingenuity of vernacular design. Housed in the National Gallery of Art Index of American Design collection, it invites visitors to appreciate the simple beauty of objects shaped by cultural traditions. As part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, th...
About the Artist
Rex F. Bush
Rex F. Bush (c. 1915–2002) was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression era. Active primarily from 1935 to 1942, Bush produced watercolor, gouache, graphite, and pen-and-ink renderings on paperboard that documented everyday American folk ...