Drawing for Plate 5: From Portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" c. 1939

This drawing for Plate 5 from the portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" was made anonymously, with an unknown medium. The image depicts a stylized vase holding a symmetrical arrangement of flowers and leaves in shades of red, yellow, and brown. It was part of the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression, seeking to document and preserve American folk art traditions. This initiative reflects the era's interest in celebrating regional identities and vernacular art forms, and how institutions shape artistic production. The artwork embodies the visual codes of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, drawing from cultural references such as tulip motifs, symbolizing faith, hope, and charity. The Pennsylvania Dutch, descendants of German immigrants, preserved and transformed their cultural heritage in a new land, expressing it through Fraktur drawings and utilitarian objects. Understanding the social and institutional context of this drawing requires studying WPA archives and historical scholarship on Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, revealing how art reflects and shapes cultural identity.