Drawing for Plate 15: From the Portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania"

American 20th Century

National Gallery of Art

This is a symmetrical folk art design featuring birds, flowers, and geometric shapes. The main motif is a centrally placed red and yellow tulip-like flower emerging from a blue intertwined vine, flanked by two red and blue birds facing each other. The birds are perched on a floral base resembling a heart shape, which sits atop a striped two-handled vase. Above the birds, there are two simple blue and white birds in flight, one on each side of the tall flower. The design is composed of bold, solid colors, predominantly red, yellow, and blue, with clean, distinct shapes typical of traditional folk art from the Pennsylvania German tradition. Handwritten annotations are present along with a printed caption reading, "From Late 18th Century Decoration on Paper."