Tavern Sign
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 73.3 x 53.1 cm (28 7/8 x 20 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 31" wide; 49" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.20
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of American folk art with *Tavern Sign*, a watercolor, gouache, and graphite by Alfred Parys, created around 1939. Measuring 73.3 x 53.1 cm (28 7/8 x 20 7/8 in.), this vividly captures the bold imagery and rustic charm of a traditional tavern sign, those eye-catching wooden boards that beckoned travelers to colonial inns and pubs with their simple, symbolic designs. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942—this piece exemplifies the era's effort to document and celebr...