Waistcoat

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering of a waistcoat, created around 1937 by Sarafinkel, belongs to the Index of American Design at the National Gallery of Art. Part of a nationwide initiative during the Great Depression, the project employed artists to document historic American decorative arts and textiles with meticulous accuracy. Garfinkel’s work captures the garment’s intricate details—likely an 18th- or 19th-century example—preserving its form and ornament for future study and appreciation. Executed in watercolor and graphite on paperboard, the drawing measures just under 12 by 9 inches, allowing for...