Child's Dress

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering of a Child’s Dress was created around 7 by Sara Garfinkel as part of the Index of American Design, a New Deal initiative that employed artists to document historic American decorative arts and everyday objects. The and graphite drawing faithfully records a small garment—measuring just 7½ inches from neck to waist—likely dating from the nineteenth century, preserving its proportions and construction details for future generations. Garfinkel’s precise technique combines soft washes of color with fine graphite lines to convey the texture and cut of the fabric, highlightin...