Floor plan

Style galleriesAmerican folk and design

American folk and design

The image shows a tall, narrow wooden table with a square top and four long, slender legs. The color palette is warm with shades of light brown and reddish-brown on the table. Positioned centrally, the table stands against a plain, light-colored background.
This is a painting of a camel with a colorful saddle. The camel is centered in the image, standing against a plain, light-colored background. The animal is drawn with careful attention to detail, showcasing its distinctive humps, elongated neck, and slender legs. It is adorned with a vibrant saddle that features bright orange and red tones. The simplicity of the background emphasizes the camel.
This is a painting of a carousel horse. The image shows a gray carousel horse with glossy highlights and shading. The horse has a blue and red saddle with gold bands, and a blue harness with red accents. The horse is mid-gallop, with animated legs. The background is plain to focus on the horse's design. The style is detailed and realistic, reminiscent of carousel art from the late 19th to early 20th century.
The image depicts a young person standing upright with distinct facial features including rounded cheeks, a small mouth, and large eyes. They are wearing a brown dress with a cream-colored shawl, a bonnet with dark trim, and a pouch hanging from their left side. The background is plain and cream-colored.
This is a drawing depicting instructional annotations on a pattern for tailoring or assembling clothing. The pattern includes various pieces labeled with letters and numbers corresponding to specific parts of a garment, like "FRONT," "SIDE BACK," and "COLLAR." The layout is precise and technical, resembling a guide for constructing a garment with detailed cutting and assembly instructions.
This is an image of a bonnet and its details. The drawing showcases a bonnet with intricate design and texture. The bonnet is viewed from the side, revealing its woven structure with patterns representing fabric pleats or folds. It has a long ribbon hanging from the back, depicted with flowing lines. There are also two smaller sketches showing the bonnet from the back, emphasizing its shape and construction. The background is plain.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

The everyday art of early America, recorded in watercolour by the Index of American Design.

Section 1, north wall

  1. The image shows a tall, narrow wooden table with a square top and four long, slender legs. The color palette is warm with shades of light brown and reddish-brown on the table. Positioned centrally, the table stands against a plain, light-colored background.
    Shaker StandRay Holden, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This is a painting of a camel with a colorful saddle. The camel is centered in the image, standing against a plain, light-colored background. The animal is drawn with careful attention to detail, showcasing its distinctive humps, elongated neck, and slender legs. It is adorned with a vibrant saddle that features bright orange and red tones. The simplicity of the background emphasizes the camel.
    Bank CamelWilliam O. Fletcher, c. 1940Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This is a painting of a carousel horse. The image shows a gray carousel horse with glossy highlights and shading. The horse has a blue and red saddle with gold bands, and a blue harness with red accents. The horse is mid-gallop, with animated legs. The background is plain to focus on the horse's design. The style is detailed and realistic, reminiscent of carousel art from the late 19th to early 20th century.
    Carousel HorseDorothy Handy, c. 1939Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 1, south wall

  1. The image depicts a young person standing upright with distinct facial features including rounded cheeks, a small mouth, and large eyes. They are wearing a brown dress with a cream-colored shawl, a bonnet with dark trim, and a pouch hanging from their left side. The background is plain and cream-colored.
    Quaker DollJacob Gielens, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This is a drawing depicting instructional annotations on a pattern for tailoring or assembling clothing. The pattern includes various pieces labeled with letters and numbers corresponding to specific parts of a garment, like "FRONT," "SIDE BACK," and "COLLAR." The layout is precise and technical, resembling a guide for constructing a garment with detailed cutting and assembly instructions.
    Waistcoat PatternRosalia Lane, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This is an image of a bonnet and its details. The drawing showcases a bonnet with intricate design and texture. The bonnet is viewed from the side, revealing its woven structure with patterns representing fabric pleats or folds. It has a long ribbon hanging from the back, depicted with flowing lines. There are also two smaller sketches showing the bonnet from the back, emphasizing its shape and construction. The background is plain.
    BonnetBessie Forman, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, south wall

  1. The image displays a vintage mechanical bank with a brick-patterned tower on the left and a soldier figure on the right, prepared to operate a cannon. The color scheme is mainly earthy tones including brown, bronze, and hints of gold, creating a retro metallic appearance. The label "ARTILLERY BANK" is engraved on the base in front of the cannon.
    Mechanical Artillery BankAlf Bruseth, c. 1940Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The sculpture depicts a male figure standing upright with one hand raised and the other resting on his hip. The subject is wearing a garment that drapes over one shoulder and a feather-patterned skirt, accessorized with a headband. The colors of the sculpture are predominantly earth tones, including browns and a green headband. The material appears to be a type of stone or ceramic with a polished finish. The figure is slightly larger than everyday objects, allowing viewers to appreciate the intricacies of the carving and the details in the drapery and texture. The statue stands on a rectangular base that is consistent with the overall color palette.
    Cigar Store IndianRosamond P. Gray, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image displays a full-body illustration of a person standing upright. They have a delicate and round face with rosy cheeks and small, pink lips. Their eyes are large and expressive, and they have light-colored hair peeking out from under a bonnet. The person's attire consists of a long, dark skirt and a light-colored shawl draped over their shoulders. They wear a hooded cloak tied with a bow at the neck, and hold a small bag in their left hand. The background is plain with a light-colored texture. The artwork is a painted illustration with visible fine lines and shading to enhance details of the clothing and facial features.
    Quaker DollBertha Semple, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, north wall

  1. The image shows a dark metal object with two parts: a handle and a blade. The color palette consists of shades of dark brown on a light beige background. The handle is located at the top center, and the blade portion is positioned below it, both aligned vertically in the center of the frame.
    SpitEmile Cero, c. 1938Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image shows an illustration of a decorative cup with a relief design and handle to the left. The cup is brown with leaf patterns. The background is light tan. In the top right corner, there is a sketch of the cup's underside.
    Wooden Shaving MugJesse W. Skeen, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This is a drawing of a wooden door panel. It features a detailed rendering of a rectangular wooden door panel with vertical lines. Below the door panel, there is an elevation view showing the construction detail of the door in cross-section, with measurements indicating dimensions and proportions. The color palette is in shades of brown and beige. A signature in the lower right corner attributes the drawing to an artist named Geoffrey Holt.
    One of Original Inside Doors to SacristyGeoffrey Holt, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 3, north wall

  1. This is a painting of a quilt design pattern. The image depicts a square quilt block featuring a variety of geometric shapes and patterns pieced together. The quilt features a mix of colors, including blues, reds, browns, and a pink border, with intricate patterns in the fabric segments. The textures and colors create an intricate optical composition resembling different geometric forms and depth. The piece is delicately framed within a larger white space, which emphasizes the detail of the quilt pattern. This is in the style of a traditional textile or quilting pattern illustrator.
    Cotton Bed QuiltElgin Moncure Styll, c. 1941Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This is a drawing of a decorative vase design. The central focus of the image is a detailed drawing of a vase with a bulbous body and a flared top, placed on an intricately designed tall stand. The stand features elaborate ornate patterns, giving it an almost floral appearance with its swirling details and golden hue. The vase itself has subtle decorative elements engraved or painted around its surface. Surrounding the primary image are additional sketches showcasing different parts and views of the vase, such as its profile, the pattern, and cross-sectional diagrams. These supplementary sketches provide further insight into the structural and decorative design aspects of the vase. The careful attention to scale and detail suggests this is a design blueprint for a piece of decorative art.
    Metal Base LampHenry Meyers, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 3, south wall

  1. The image shows a decorative curved object with intricate patterns. There is a large green peacock motif in the center, surrounded by floral and geometric patterns. The color palette includes soft pinks, greens, and blue accents outlining the curve of the object. The object is placed on a plain light background.
    BandboxNicholas Acampora, 1937Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image shows a large fan with intricate feather-like segments adorned with yellow patterns and a bird depiction. The color palette is grey with hints of yellow, brown, and metallic sheen on the ribs. The fan is positioned upright with the handle at the bottom center, and the feathers extend outward in a semi-circular shape.
    Feather FanTulita Westfall, c. 1937Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington