Wall Paper
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.4 x 22.8 cm (11 9/16 x 9 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16006
Art Historical Context
"Wall Paper" is a captivating rendering by artist Paul Farkas, created 1937 as part of the Index of American Design. This New Deal-era project, launched in 1935 under the Progress Administration (WPA), employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative objects through precise watercolor studies. Farkas's contribution preserves a charming wallpaper pattern, highlighting the ingenuity of American design traditions during a time of economic hardship. Executed in watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard (29.4 x 22.8 cm), the work showcases maste...