Carpenter's Clamp
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28 x 35.7 cm (11 x 14 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9423
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Carpenter's Clamp* (1939), a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard by Alexander Anderson, measuring 28 x 35.7 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American (Department: CG-W), this captures the humble beauty of a traditional woodworking tool, transforming everyday craftsmanship into a celebrated artifact. Created during the Great Depression as part of the Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Index of American Design was a monumental effort to document and preserve the nation's folk art, decorative arts, and utilitarian obj...