Maud Schmid

Maud Schmid was an artist active during the mid-1930s, specifically documented between 1935 and 1936. Her known body of work is directly tied to the Index of American Design, a significant component of the Federal Art Project established during the Great Depression. This government initiative aimed to create a pictorial survey documenting historical American decorative and folk arts.

Schmid’s contribution to the Index is represented by seven works held in museum collections. Her focus was predominantly on textiles and domestic ornamentation, illustrating her skill in precisely rendering historical craft objects. Notable examples of her documented subjects include a Fire Screen, Printed Quilt Patterns, a Friendship Quilt-Patchwork Section, a Handwoven Coverlet, and a Linen Square.

The historical importance of her documentation is cemented by its preservation in national institutions, including the National Gallery of Art. As output from a federal arts initiative, Schmid’s documentation of these artifacts is considered an essential resource for studying American craft history. Today, Maud Schmid prints documenting these objects are often available as high-quality prints, contributing to the body of downloadable artwork available within the public domain.