Woman's Shoe

Art Historical Context

Daniel Marshack's "Woman's Shoe," created circa 1940, is a fine example of watercolor and graphite on paperboard, measuring 36.8 by 44.5 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art as part of the Index of American Design, this artwork meticulously records the form and details of a woman's shoe, showcasing the artist's skill in capturing texture, color, and construction. The Index of American Design was a significant initiative to document American decorative arts and crafts through detailed illustrations. Marshack contributed precise renderings that preserve the appearance of such objects for future generations. Watercolor provides luminous hues and subtle shading, while graphite adds sharp outlines, creating an accurate yet artistic record of everyday design. This piece offers visitors insight into American footwear and the broader effort to catalog cultural artifacts. Everyday items like shoes reveal much about craftsmanship and taste, making the work a valuable resource for understanding design history.

About the Artist

Daniel Marshack · 1911–1995

Daniel Marshack was an American artist born around 1911 whose death date remains unknown. Little is recorded about his early life, training, or teachers, as is common for many of the hundreds of artists employed on New Deal-era public art projects. He is known today almost exclusively through his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administrat...