Waistcoat

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering of a waistcoat, created around 1937 by Sarafinkel, belongs to the Index of American Design at the National Gallery of Art. Part of a nationwide initiative during the Great Depression, the project employed artists to document historic American decorative arts and textiles with meticulous accuracy. Garfinkel’s work captures the garment’s intricate details—likely an 18th- or 19th-century example—preserving its form and ornament for future study and appreciation. Executed in watercolor and graphite on paperboard, the drawing measures just under 12 by 9 inches, allowing for fine attention to fabric texture, buttons, and embroidery. Such precise illustrations served both as artistic records and educational tools, highlighting the craftsmanship of everyday and ceremonial clothing from earlier eras. Through this medium, Garfinkel contributed to a visual archive that celebrated America’s design heritage at a time when many original objects faced loss or deterioration.