Bernard Krieger

Bernard Krieger was an American artist active briefly from 1935 to 1938. Krieger’s documented output is directly associated with the Index of American Design (IAD), a major visual documentation project sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. The goal of the IAD was to create a pictorial archive of historic American decorative arts, crafts, and folk objects.

As a documentation artist for the project, Krieger specialized in creating precise, detailed renderings of objects, focusing on accuracy in dimension, ornamentation, and material texture. Fifteen such studies attributed to Krieger are represented in museum collections. These works include meticulous depictions of utilitarian and historical items such as the Side Chair, the Colt Revolver, the Full Dress Uniform, and the specialized Pa. German Dower Chest.

These archival documentation pieces are primarily held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Because the IAD was a government initiative, much of this historical work is now designated in the public domain. This accessibility allows researchers and collectors to acquire high-quality prints of Bernard Krieger prints and studies, confirming the continued scholarly relevance of the Federal Art Project's documentation effort.