Wool Cushion Top
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 53.7 x 48.2 cm (21 1/8 x 19 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.569
Art Historical Context
Frank J. Mace's *Wool Cushion Top (c. 1938) is a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, capturing intricate patterns of a traditional American folk textile. Measuring 53.7 x 48.2 cm, this work belongs to the National Gallery of's Index of American Design (Department CG-W). Mace, an artist employed by the Federal Art Project used fine brushwork and precise pencil lines to document the vibrant wool motifs—likely a hooked or embroidered cushion top—evoking everyday colonial and early American craftsmanship. Created during the Great Depression as part of the Works Progress Ad...