Rooster
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 60.8 x 50.2 cm (23 15/16 x 19 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: approx. 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
1943.8.16484
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Rooster* by Howard Weld, created around 1938 as part of the Index of American Design. This watercolor and graphite rendering on paper (60.8 x 50.2 cm) captures a spirited folk art rooster standing approximately 4 feet high in its original form. Weld, a skilled artist in the Federal Art Project, meticulously documented everyday American objects, transforming three-dimensional crafts into precise, colorful two-dimensional studies. The Index of American Design, launched in 1935 under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), celebrated the nation's rich decorative arts and fol...