Study for Proposed Portfolio "Decorated Chests of Rural Pennsylvania" 1941

This design for a decorated chest from rural Pennsylvania features muted greens and a dusty rose palette, and looks like it was made with casein paint on paper. I can imagine the artist carefully plotting out the design, the hand steady as they built up each layer of colour to create the final image of potted flowers. What were they thinking about as they worked? About the chest itself and who it was for? About the tradition that they were working within? The paint isn’t thick, but the forms have solid outlines, and it feels balanced. The stylized flowers and the decorative pot speak to a larger tradition of folk art, where everyday objects are adorned with personal, cultural, and symbolic meaning. Even though it's just a study, you can feel the care and attention to detail that would have gone into the final chest, too.