Fractur Paintings (Upper-a Hymn; Lower- Religious Motto)
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 33.7 x 25.2 cm (13 1/4 x 9 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: Upper 7 3/4"x3"high; Lower 3'wide x 4 3/4"high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3362
Art Historical Context
Behold *Fractur Paintings (Upper—a Hymn; Lower—Religious Motto)*, a delicate watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite rendering on paper by Albert Levone, created around 1940. Measuring 33.7 x 25.2 cm overall, this work meticulously documents two original Pennsylvania German folk art pieces: a compact upper hymn ( 3/4 x 3 inches) and a wider lower religious motto (36 x 4 3/4 inches). Part of the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, it captures the vibrant, ornamental essence of Fraktur—a cherished 18th- and 19th-century tradition among German settlers in Pennsylvania....
About the Artist
Albert Levone
Albert Levone was an American artist who contributed to the Index of American Design, the Works Progress Administration's landmark program to document the nation's decorative arts heritage through precise watercolor rendering. Active during the late 1930s and early 1940s, Levone focused his work on the material culture of the Pennsylvania German community, producing renderings of objects that incl...