Drawing for Plate 3: From Portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" c. 1939

This anonymous drawing from the portfolio "Folk Art of Rural Pennsylvania" is made with paint on paper. Here, three leaping deer are rendered in flat, vibrant colors – yellow, blue, and red, a palette that feels both earthy and a bit synthetic. The anonymous artist seems less concerned with naturalism and more with the graphic punch of bold shapes and clean lines. This suggests a connection to traditions of decorative painting, where stylized motifs are repeated across surfaces, transforming everyday objects. The aesthetic of the Pennsylvania Dutch, deeply rooted in their European heritage, valued a handmade aesthetic. Yet the very act of selecting and framing "folk art" elevates these images, complicating any simple distinction between craft and fine art. It prompts us to consider the social context in which these objects were made, and the shifting values we place on artistic labor. The image offers a window into a world where art and life were intertwined, and making was a communal act of creativity and cultural expression.