Statuette - "Spirit of 1776"
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and heightening on paper
Dimensions
sheet: 28 × 35.6 cm (11 × 14 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9928
Art Historical Context
Behold the captivating *Statuette - "Spirit of 1776"* by Ralph Atkinson, a vivid 1937 watercolor, graphite, and heightening on paper (28 × 35.6 cm). This delicate rendering captures a patriotic folk art statuette evoking the fervor of America's Revolutionary era, symbolizing resilience and independence with its spirited form and symbolic motifs. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s—Atkinson's work meticulously documents everyday American craftsmanship. Launched during the Great Depression, the Index employed artists to preserv...
About the Artist
Ralph Atkinson
Ralph Atkinson (1913–1995) was an American artist whose precise and evocative watercolor renderings captured the essence of everyday American folk art objects during the Great Depression era. He is best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a monumental Works Progress Administration (WPA) project launched in 1935 that commissioned hundreds of artists to document the nation's...