Waistcoat

Art Historical Context

This watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil rendering of a waistcoat by Margaret Concha, created between 1935 and 1942, belongs to the renowned Index of American Design at the National Gallery of. Measuring about 18 by 15 inches on paperboard, it showcases the artist's careful attention to detail in capturing the garment's form, fabric, and decorative elements. The Index of American Design was a groundbreaking project of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. Hundreds of artists were commissioned to produce accurate visual records of American folk art, decorative objects, and historical artifacts, ensuring that the nation's design heritage was preserved for future generations. Concha's contribution highlights the everyday yet significant items of American material culture. Using a combination of media, Concha achieved a high level of realism and texture, typical of the Index's documentary approach. This artwork not only demonstrates technical skill but also provides valuable insight into historical clothing styles, making it an engaging piece for understanding America's artistic and cultural past.

About the Artist

Margaret Concha · 1897–1994

Margaret Concha is an artist whose life and career remain incompletely documented in the major scholarly literature on art history. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and details of her training, nationality, and primary working period are not reliably recorded in available sources. The works attributed to her suggest engagement with the visual traditions of her era, though ...