Straw Bonnet

Art Historical Context

**Straw Bonnet**, created around 1939 by Ferdinand Bad, captures the delicate charm of American folk craftsmanship through watercolor, graphite, and colored on paperboard. Measuring 35.7 x 27 cm, this intimate work is part of the prestigious Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era project housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection. Commissioned under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) 1935 to 1942, the IAD employed artists like Badin to document American objects, preserving cultural heritage amid the Great Depression Badin's rendering highlights the bonnet's intricate straw weaving, ribbons, and subtle shading, blending realism with stylized elegance to evoke 19th-century rural life. The mixed media allow for luminous colors and fine graphite details, mimicking the bonnet's texture and form. This piece underscores the IAD's mission to celebrate utilitarian design as art, reminding us how simple accessories reflected ingenuity and tradition in early America. A testament to federal support for the arts, it invites visitors to appreciate the beauty in the commonplace.