Genevieve Sherlock

Genevieve Sherlock was an artist active between 1935 and 1940, a period defined by large-scale government cultural projects in the United States. Sherlock’s documented output consists exclusively of renderings created for the Index of American Design (IAD), a comprehensive project sponsored by the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The IAD focused on meticulously documenting the history of American decorative and folk arts, capturing details of design and craftsmanship through detailed illustration.

Sherlock’s work is characterized by its technical precision and adherence to documentary requirements. Fifteen index designs attributed to the artist are represented in major museum collections. These works concentrate heavily on American furniture, featuring specific studies such as Detail of Hitchcock Chair and multiple depictions of the Hitchcock Chair and generic Chair designs.

These historically significant documents are preserved in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. As institutional records, much of this documentation is today considered public domain, allowing researchers and enthusiasts to access Genevieve Sherlock prints as downloadable artwork. This collection of detailed, museum-quality drawings provides essential insight into early American decorative methodologies.