Wooden Plow

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Wooden Plow* by Majel G. Claflin, a captivating watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper from around 1937. Measuring 24.1 x 35.9 cm, this piece is a treasured entry in the Index of American Design, a Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. in 1935, the Index commissioned artists across the U.S. to document everyday American folk objects, crafts, and designs, creating a visual archive of the nation's cultural heritage. Claflin's artwork showcases a traditional wooden plow—an essential tool of early American agriculture—with precise graphite outlines, vibrant gouache highlights, and fluid watercolor washes that capture its textures and forms. These mixed media techniques allowed for hyper-realistic detail, blending technical accuracy with artistic flair, much like the photorealistic style favored by Index artists to elevate utilitarian objects into fine art. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W Department, this work underscores the ingenuity of American farmers and the WPA's role in preserving vanishing folk traditions amid economic hardship. It invites visitors to appreciate how simple tools embodied resilience and innovation in rural life, bridging art, history, and everyday American spirit.

About the Artist

Majel G. Claflin · 1893–1941

Majel G. Claflin (1893–1941) was an American artist best known for her meticulous documentation of Spanish Colonial folk art from northern New Mexico. Active in Taos, New Mexico, during the late 1930s, she produced watercolor renderings as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration that aimed to catalog regional American crafts and tradition...