Eugene La Foret

Eugene La Foret was an artist active during a very focused period in the mid-1930s, documented between 1935 and 1936. La Foret’s known works are affiliated with the Index of American Design (IAD), a major federal arts initiative established during the Depression era to create a visual documentation of American craft, decorative arts, and folk objects dating from the colonial period through the nineteenth century.

Fourteen works attributed to La Foret are documented as part of this project. Their contributions were highly specialized, focusing on precise, detailed renderings of historical American artifacts. Specific pieces represented in the database include everyday and ceremonial items such as a Flask, a Pitcher, a Spinning Wheel, a Silver Cup, and a Silver Teapot.

These documentation drawings, sometimes executed in watercolor or graphite, prioritize accuracy and objective observation over artistic interpretation, reflecting the mission of the IAD. Today, La Foret’s documented output is preserved within the collections of the National Gallery of Art, where the core Index of American Design archive is maintained. As part of this historical collection, many of these images are in the public domain, allowing institutions to generate high-quality prints. Researchers often seek reproductions of these unique Eugene La Foret prints for historical study.