Canteen

Art Historical Context

**Canteen** by Harold Smith (1935/1942) is a captivating rendering from the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project that documented America's rich folk art and craft traditions during the Great Depression. Created between 1935 and 1942, this precise depiction captures a utilitarian canteen—likely an everyday object turned artifact—highlighting the ingenuity of American craftsmanship in an era of economic hardship and cultural preservation efforts. Smith employed watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper techniques ideal for the Index's goal of vivid, accurate reproductions. Graphite provided fine outlines and details, while watercolor and gouache added luminous color and texture, bringing the canteen's form to life on a modest 30.6 x 22.9 cm sheet. These mixed-media works were not mere sketches but scholarly tools, enabling museums like the National Gallery of Art to safeguard designs at risk of being lost. Housed in the National Gallery's CG-W department, this piece underscores the Index's enduring legacy: over 18,000 renderings that celebrate everyday American aesthetics, from quilts to tools. Visitors today can appreciate how Smith's meticulous hand preserved a slice of vernacular history, inviting us to see beauty in the functional.

About the Artist

Harold Smith · 1855–present

Harold Smith is a Kansas City, Kansas-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, collage, mixed media, performance, video, sound, and assemblage. Born and raised in the area, he has worked as an educator for over three decades, including as a computer science and art teacher, before focusing full-time on his studio practice. His work draws from the social commentary tradition of...