Figured Material from Quilt
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28 x 35.5 cm (11 x 14 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.963
Art Historical Context
**Figured Material from Quilt** Dorothy Posten, created around 1936, captures the intricate patterns of traditional American quilt fabric in watercolor, gouache, and on paper (28 x 35.5 cm). This work belongs to the *Index of American Design*, monumental WPA Federal Art Project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942), where artists like Posten meticulously documented everyday to celebrate the nation's folk art heritage. Posten's rendering highlights the vibrant colors and precise motifs of quilt materials, using gouache for bold, opaque hues and graphite for fine details—a technique ideal f...
About the Artist
Dorothy Posten
Dorothy Posten was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this ambitious endeavor employed artists across the United States to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and decorative traditions through detailed render...