Van Silvay

Van Silvay was an artist active for a defined period between 1935 and 1939, during the crucial era of American federal arts patronage. The verifiable body of work attributed to Van Silvay consists of studies and documentation associated with the Index of American Designs, a project dedicated to cataloging and preserving the nation’s heritage in decorative and folk arts.

Fifteen designs attributed to Van Silvay are represented in museum collections. These works focused on depicting everyday forms and domestic objects, documented through precise technical rendering. Specific examples of these designs include multiple studies such as Bottle, Bowl, and two known representations of a Compote.

Today, Van Silvay’s known contributions to the Index of American Designs are preserved in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Due to their archival nature and historical dates, many of these Van Silvay prints are now recognized as being in the public domain. These valuable historical records are often utilized by researchers and are accessible as high-quality prints for institutional or personal study.