Silk Bonnet

Art Historical Context

Welcome visitors to the delicate charm of *Silk Bonnet*, a meticulous rendering by artist Peter Connin created between 1935 and 1942. This artwork is a standout from the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression. Artists like Connin documented everyday American objects—folk art, crafts, and decorative items—to preserve the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Crafted in watercolor, graphite, pen and ink on paperboard (measuring 35.6 x 25 cm), Connin's piece showcases precise, realistic techniques that blend soft color washes with fine line details. The mixed media allowed for lifelike textures, capturing the bonnet's luxurious silk sheen and intricate folds, evoking 19th-century women's fashion. Such renderings served as accurate records when originals were fragile or scarce. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, *Silk Bonnet* highlights America's design legacy, bridging historical craftsmanship with New Deal-era artistry. It invites us to appreciate the quiet elegance of bygone accessories and the artists who immortalized them.