Chopping Knife
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 31.3 x 24.8 cm (12 5/16 x 9 3/4 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11984
Art Historical Context
**Chopping Knife** by Nicholas Amantea, created around 1941, captures the humble beauty of an everyday American tool through meticulous watercolor and graphite on paperboard (31.3 x 24.8 cm). Part of the National Gallery of's Index of American Design, this rendering showcases a sturdy chopping knife—likely a folk craft or utilitarian object from early American life—with precise lines and subtle color washes that highlight its form, edge, and handle texture. Amantea contributed to the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) during the Great Depression. Ar...
About the Artist
Nicholas Amantea
Nicholas Amantea (1900–1978) was an American artist born on July 13, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His early life and artistic training are not well documented, but by the mid-1930s, he had established himself in New York City, where he contributed significantly to federal art initiatives during the Great Depression. From March 13, 1936, to July 15, 1942, Amantea worked for the Works Progress...