Isabelle De Strange
Isabelle De Strange was an artist active for a concentrated period between 1935 and 1937, during which time she contributed to the seminal Index of American Design (IAD). The IAD was a significant New Deal initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), tasked with creating a comprehensive visual archive of historical American folk and decorative arts.
De Strange’s documented output centers on detailed renderings of functional and domestic objects, reflecting the core mission of the IAD to preserve the aesthetics of material culture. The five documented works represented in major collections focus heavily on textiles and domestic utility items. These include the documented garments and accessories Dress, Embroidered Jacket, and Vest, alongside the records of practical items like the Bootjack and the folk art documentation Pa. German Toy Rooster with Bellows.
These meticulous documentations establishing the artist's role in the Index of American Design are permanently held in the collections of the National Gallery of Art (NGA). Because the works served as government records, Isabelle De Strange prints and documentation images are often considered public domain. Today, the high-quality, museum-quality records of these historic objects are widely available as downloadable artwork for scholarly research and appreciation.
