Donald Donovan

Donald Donovan was an artist active primarily between 1935 and 1938, during the height of the Great Depression. His verifiable output is tied directly to the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project established under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The IAD sought to create a comprehensive pictorial survey of American decorative and folk arts from the colonial period through the 19th century, resulting in thousands of precise, technical renderings.

Donovan’s work consisted of documenting utilitarian and vernacular objects, emphasizing accuracy of form, material, and construction. These renderings provide valuable historical records and are preserved today as museum-quality documentation of American craft traditions.

Five of Donovan’s documented designs are represented in museum collections, including the holdings of the National Gallery of Art. The subjects range across various forms of American decorative arts, including detailed studies of a Dining Chair and an Occasional Table, and renderings of folk objects such as the Horse's Head, Weather Vane, and the dimensional documentation of a Carousel Goat. Many original IAD works, including those resulting in Donald Donovan prints, are today part of the public domain and are accessible as downloadable artwork through digitized institutional collections.