The image displays geometric shapes, including hexagons and triangles, arranged in a pattern. It combines shapes with colors and patterns. The repeated use of hexagons and triangles creates a patchwork design.
Carmel Wilson, Silk Couch Cover, c. 1938, watercolor and graphite on paperboard, Index of American Design, 1943.8.347

Upcoming Exhibition

Women and the Index of American Design

Details

  • Dates

    -

  • Locations

    East Building

    East Building Ground Level, Gallery E106

  • Ticketing Information

    Admission is always free and passes are not required

Between 1935 and 1942, the US government commissioned over 18,000 watercolors to document works of American folk, decorative, and industrial art. Women played a pivotal role in this effort. Today, the National Gallery cares for this vast collection, known as the Index of American Design.

This special installation includes a selection of watercolors made by women artists for the Index. They captured subjects such as embroideries, quilt designs, toys, weather vanes, and household objects.

Organization
Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Curated by Amy Johnston, associate curator of collections, department of old master drawings, National Gallery of Art. 

The image depicts a gray shoe with a buckle and a red sole. The shoe is placed centrally, tilted slightly upwards and towards the right, on a light background.

Index of American Design

The Index is made up of 18,257 watercolor works by some 1,000 artists. A Federal Art Project dating to the Great Depression, it sought to identify and preserve a national, ancestral aesthetic for the United States. The watercolors depict American folk and decorative arts objects from the colonial period through 1900.

A black and white drawing of a Sony Walkman with wired headphones

Article:  Create with Us: How Drawing Can Teach You to See Your Belongings in a New Light

Sketch everyday objects, inspired by the Index of American Design.

Article:  Creating an Index of American Design

The US government once employed artists to draw pictures of designs from historical objects. The idea is reimagined by artists today.

This painting depicts an angel in flight, facing the left and playing a trumpet. The angel's wings are spread out behind them, and their feet are extended out horizontally to the right. A small rod or post extends downward from the torso of the angel. The angel is entirely painted in shades of yellow, reddish-brown, and gray, reminiscent of weathered metal with patches of rust. Small rivets are visible at joints and edges of the angel, which appears to be comprised of small panels. The background of the painting is plain beige paper.

Article:  Seven Highlights from the Index of American Design

Peer into the American past with a collection of Great Depression–era watercolors.

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