Shop Sign
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 34.9 x 44.1 cm (13 3/4 x 17 3/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 20" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13827
Art Historical Context
**Shop Sign** by John Sullivan, created around 1938, is a vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 34.9 x 44.1 cm. This delicate work captures the essence of an everyday American shop sign, originally about 20 inches long, the charm of vernacular folk art from the early 20th century.'s precise draftsmanship brings to life the bold colors and simple motifs typical of signs that once beckoned customers to local businesses, evoking a bygone era of community commerce. As part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and ...