Materials from Quilt
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.988
Art Historical Context
**Materials from Quilt** by Dorothy Posten, created around 1937, captures the tactile essence of American quilting traditions through delicate watercolor and graphite on paperboard. Measuring 28 x 23 cm, this intimate study showcases Posten's skill in rendering fabric textures, colors, and patterns with precision and sensitivity. As part of the National Gallery Art's Index of American collection, it invites visitors to appreciate the everyday artistry of quilts—vital symbols of resourcefulness and community in American folk culture. Posten's work emerged from the Index of American Design, a W...
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...