Andirons (right and left)

Art Historical Context

This delicate rendering of a pair of andirons captures the quiet elegance of early American metalwork. Created around 1939 by artist Hans Korsch as part of the Index of American Design, the watercolor and graphite study records a pair of fireplace andirons originally measuring twenty-four inches in height. The Index, a Depression-era project of the Works Progress Administration, employed artists across the country to document outstanding examples of American decorative arts before they disappeared from everyday life. Korsch’s precise technique combines the soft luminosity of watercolor with the clarity of graphite line, allowing viewers to appreciate both the functional form and subtle decorative details of the objects. Rendered on paperboard at roughly life size, the drawing preserves the andirons’ proportions and surface qualities for future study reproduction. Such works formed an invaluable visual archive of American craftsmanship from the colonial period through the nineteenth century. Today housed in the National Gallery of Art’s collection, this sheet exemplifies the Index’s mission to celebrate everyday objects as embodiments of national design heritage. Its careful observation invites us to look anew at the artistry hidden in utilitarian household items.

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...