Eileen Knox

Eileen Knox was an artist active for a defined period between 1937 and 1941. Knox is primarily known for contributions to the six-volume Index of American Design, a federally supported project dedicated to documenting American folk art and historical decorative objects. This focus placed Knox within a group of artists preserving the visual history of American craft and design through precise, descriptive studies.

The works documented in museum collections illustrate Knox’s dedication to detailed renderings of American material culture. Six works attributed to Knox are held in public institutions, showcasing a range of subjects from cabinetry to textiles. These include the architectural study Bookcase - Gothic Type, the textile rendering Coverlet: Eagle Coin, and the depiction of the regional furnishing Pa. German Chest. Other documented works include a study of an Egg Cabinet and a Vase.

The majority of Knox’s surviving work is held by the National Gallery of Art (NGA). As a result of their federal origin, many of these Index of American Design pieces are now in the public domain. Today, high-quality prints documenting the work of Eileen Knox prints are utilized by historians and designers studying early American functional art.