Doll - "Martha"
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 38.4 x 27.7 cm (15 1/8 x 10 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 7 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15459
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of American folk art with *Doll - "Martha*, a captivating watercolor rendering by Rex F. Bush, around 1937. This delicate depiction, measuring 38.4 x 27.7 cm, portrays a 7½-inch-high doll named Martha, meticulously captured as part of the Index of American Design—a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942). Housed in the National Gallery of Art it exemplifies efforts to document and celebrate everyday objects that embodied America's cultural heritage. Bush employed a masterful blend of watercolor for luminous washes, graphite for...
About the Artist
Rex F. Bush
Rex F. Bush (c. 1915–2002) was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression era. Active primarily from 1935 to 1942, Bush produced watercolor, gouache, graphite, and pen-and-ink renderings on paperboard that documented everyday American folk ...