Two-Headed Freak
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 51 x 38.1 cm (20 1/16 x 15 in.) Original IAD Object: 22 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16863
Art Historical Context
"Two-Headed Freak" is a captivating watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard by Chris Makrenos, created between 1935 and 1942. Measuring 51 x 38.1 cm (20 1/16 x 15 in.), it depicts an original folk art object standing 22 1/2 inches high. As part of the Index of Design (IAD)—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression—this work exemplifies the program's mission to document America's vernacular design and craftsmanship through precise, colorful illustrations. Makrenos, one of many skilled artists employed by the IAD, captured the eerie allure of a two-headed figu...
About the Artist
Chris Makrenos
Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...