Buckskin Purse
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 28.2 cm (14 1/16 x 11 1/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.2112
Art Historical Context
Created around 1937 by Benjamin Bryant, this watercolor rendering of askin purse captures an everyday object with exceptional precision. Measuring roughly 14 by 11 inches, the work employs watercolor, graphite, andening on paper to convey the material’s subtle folds, seams, and surface texture. It belongs to the National Gallery of Art’s Index of American Design, a vast visual archive of American decorative arts. The Index was a New Deal project of the Works Progress Administration that ran from 1935 to 1942. Artists were hired to produce scientifically accurate watercolor studies of folk and...