Straw Bonnet
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 27 cm (14 1/16 x 10 5/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.1101
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 stra...