Scent Bottle
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.9 x 23 cm (11 3/8 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10714
Art Historical Context
**Scent Bottle**, a captivating rendering by artist Paul Ward circa 1938, is a gem from the *Index of American Design*, monumental WPA-era project (1935–2) that employed artists to document America's rich heritage of folk, decorative, and popular arts. Created during the Great Depression, this initiative not only provided vital jobs for creatives like Ward but also preserved visual records of everyday objects, ensuring cultural treasures weren't lost to time. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W Department, this 28.9 x 23 cm sheet exemplifies the program's mission to celebrate American...
About the Artist
Paul Ward
Paul Ward was an American artist who contributed to the Index of American Design during the New Deal era, creating detailed watercolor renderings of American decorative objects that are now held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. His documented works include Lamp and Camphene Lamp, both rendered in watercolor and graphite on paperboard and created between 1935 and...