Wax Doll
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 27 cm (14 1/16 x 10 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 20 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
1943.8.15479
Art Historical Context
Mary E. Humes's *Wax Doll* (c. 1936) is a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, capturing the intricate details of a 20½-inch-tall American folk art object. Measuring 35.7 x 27 cm overall, this work belongs to the Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking Federal Art Project launched in 1935 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). During the Great Depression, artists like Humes were employed to document the nation's everyday crafts and designs, preserving cultural heritage through precise, colorful illustrations. Humes's technique blends soft watercolor washes for...
About the Artist
Mary E. Humes
**Mary E. Humes (1911–2001)** was an American artist best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a landmark Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Active primarily in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Humes produced detailed watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache renderings of everyday American folk art ...