Bell, from Presidential Yacht "Sylph"
1940
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 26.6 cm (14 1/16 x 10 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: Approximately 12" in diameter
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6701
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate watercolor rendering *Bell, from Presidential Yacht "Sylph"* by Edith Towner, created in 1940 as part of the Index of American Design. This delicate work on paper—measuring 35.7 x 26.6 cm—captures the gleaming brass bell, originally about 12 inches in diameter, from a storied vessel that served U.S. presidents in the early 20th century. Towner's precise use of watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite brings out the bell's ornate engravings and polished surfaces, evoking the nautical elegance of presidential maritime history. As a contribution to the Index of American Desi...
About the Artist
Edith Towner
Edith Towner was an American artist active around 1940, whose name is closely associated with the Index of American Design, the federally funded visual survey of American decorative arts and material culture produced under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. Working in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paper, Towner brought skilled draftsmanship and an e...