Hand Puppet "Punch"
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 40.9 x 27.9 cm (16 1/8 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 15 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
1943.8.16672
Art Historical Context
Behold the lively *Hand Puppet "Punch*, a captivating watercolor rendering by artist William Kerby, around 1936. This detailed depiction captures the whimsical form of a traditional folk hand puppet, standing 15½ inches tall in its original carved wooden state. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, forms part of the esteemed Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s that employed artists to document everyday American crafts and folk traditions amid the Great Depression. Kerby's masterful use of mixed media—watercolor and gouache for vibrant hues,...