Unicorn

Art Historical Context

Behold the enchanting *Unicorn* by Alice Stearns, captivating watercolor and graphite rendering created around 1937. Measuring 40.6 x 30.7 cm, this delicate work on paper meticulously captures an original folk art object standing about 8 feet talllikely a whimsical carved sculpture evoking the mythical creature's grace and mystery. Stearns' precise lines and vibrant washes bring the unicorn's form to life, blending fantasy with everyday American craftsmanship. This piece is a gem from the Index of American Design (IAD), a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942). Artists like Stearns documented thousands of American folk arts, crafts, and designs through faithful, colorful reproductions, preserving cultural heritage at a time of economic hardship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it highlights how such efforts celebrated regional ingenuity and the unicorn's enduring symbolism of purity and wonder in American decorative traditions. Stearns' technique—graphite for fine details and watercolor for luminous color—exemplifies the IAD's goal of scholarly accuracy while infusing artistic vitality. For visitors, it's a window into 20th-century efforts to honor our creative past, reminding us that even mythical beasts once galloped through American workshops.

About the Artist

Alice Stearns · 1855–present

Alice Stearns was an American artist active around 1935, renowned for her precise watercolor and gouache renderings of everyday American folk art objects. Working under the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project, she contributed to the Index of American Design, a Depression-era initiative launched in 1935 to document the nation's crafts, decorative arts, and vernacular designs b...