Spanish Southwest: Hat
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 23.7 x 33.5 cm (9 5/16 x 13 3/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10269
Art Historical Context
Harry Mann Waddell's *Spanish Southwest: Hat*c. 1939) is a captivating watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper, measuring 23.7 x 33.5 cm. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project initiative during the Great Depression—this work meticulously documents a traditional hat from the Spanish-influenced Southwest, likely evoking the vibrant cultural heritage of regions like New Mexico. The Index aimed to celebrate and preserve America's diverse design traditions, from folk crafts to fine arts, employing artists to produce precise, colorful stu...
About the Artist
Harry Mann Waddell
Harry Mann Waddell (1876–1956) was an American artist born on June 22, 1876, in Ohio, whose career flourished in California after he settled in Los Angeles by 1936. There he established a studio, working as a freelance draftsman while creating fine art in his spare time. His early life and formal training remain not well documented, but by the late 1930s, Waddell had become a key contributor to th...