Andiron (one of pair)

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering captures one of a pair of andirons, the sturdy metal supports that once held logs in an American fireplace. Created around 1939 by Hans Korsch, the work measures just over eleven inches tall and was executed in watercolor and graphite on paperboard. The careful shading and precise lines allow viewers to appreciate both the functional form and decorative details of the original iron object, which stood twenty-seven and a half inches high. Korsch’s drawing belongs to the Index of American Design, a remarkable New Deal project that employed artists across the country to record outstanding examples of American decorative arts. Between 1935 and 1942, more than four hundred participants produced over eighteen thousand such studies, preserving the look of everyday objects—from furniture to ceramics—at a moment when many historic pieces were disappearing. The use of watercolor over graphite gave the renderings both accuracy and subtle color, making them valuable teaching tools for designers, historians, and students. Today this sheet offers a quiet window onto American craftsmanship of earlier centuries while also reminding us of the artists who worked to safeguard that heritage during the Great Depression.

About the Artist

Hans Korsch · 1855–present

Hans Korsch was an American artist active during the mid-20th century, primarily around 1935 to the early 1950s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal program employed artists to document everyday American folk art and design objects through precise watercolor renderi...