Andiron (one of pair)
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.6 x 22.2 cm (11 1/4 x 8 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: 24" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8207
Art Historical Context
This delicate watercolor and graphite rendering captures one of a pair of andirons, functional fireplace supports once essential in American homes for holding logs aloft. Created around 1939 by Hans Korsch as part of the Index of American Design, the work measures just 11¼ by 8¾ inches yet faithfully records an original object standing 24 inches tall. The Index, a Depression-era initiative under the Works Progress Administration, employed skilled artists to document America’s decorative arts traditions before they vanished. Korsch’s precise technique—combining luminous watercolor washes with ...
About the Artist
Hans Korsch
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...