Chopping Bowl
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 33.5 x 42.9 cm (13 3/16 x 16 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 18" long; 8 10/16" wide; 3 1/4" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8763
Art Historical Context
**Chopping Bowl**, a 1937 watercolor and graphite rendering by Wellington Blewett, captures the humble elegance of an everyday American folk object: a wooden chopping bowl measuring 18 inches long, 8 10/16 inches wide, and 3 1/4 inches high. Created on paperboard (33.5 x 42.9 cm), Blewett's precise depiction highlights the bowl's sturdy form, smooth curves, and functional design, evoking the craftsmanship of early American kitchens where such vessels were essential for chopping herbs, vegetables, or meat. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*, a landmark Federal Art Project u...
About the Artist
Wellington Blewett
**Wellington Blewett (1875–1962)** was a Canadian-born American artist renowned for his meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday American folk objects. Active primarily in the late 1930s, Blewett contributed significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that sought to document the nation's vernacular artistic heritage through...