Comb (For Horses' Manes and Tails)
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 37 x 29.6 cm (14 9/16 x 11 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 4 1/2" long; 6" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9443
Art Historical Context
Behold the meticulously rendered *Comb (For Horses' Manes and Tails)* H. Langden Brown created around 1938 as part of the Index of American Design. This, graphite, pen-and-ink depiction on paperboard (37 x 29.6 cm) captures a humble wooden tool—originally just 4½ inches long and 6 inches high—with exquisite precision, transforming an everyday equestrian accessory into a celebrated artifact of American craftsmanship. under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) commissioned artists like Brown to docume...
About the Artist
H. Langden Brown
H. Langden Brown (1879–1960) was an American artist best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday objects, tools, vehicles, and crafts that embodied the nation's folk...