Roach Trap
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 23.1 cm (11 1/16 x 9 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 3 5/8" high; 5 1/8" in diameter
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13373
Art Historical Context
**Roach Trap**, a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering byande Delasser around 1936, captures the ingenuity of an everyday American folk object. Measuring 28.1 x 23.1 cm overall, this work documents a small roach traporiginally just 3 5/8 inches high and 1/8 inches in diameter—highlighting practical designs from America's past. Delasser's precise technique blends soft watercolor washes for texture and form with fine graphite lines for intricate details, bringing a utilitarian item to life with artistic elegance. Created as part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a Works Progress...
About the Artist
Yolande Delasser
Yolande Delasser 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 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Amid the Great Depression, this ambitious New Deal initiative commissioned artists to document America's rich heritage of folk art and utilitarian objects through precise watercolor ren...