Copper Cauldron
1937
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 26.7 cm (14 x 10 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 21 1/4"high; max. diam. 16 1/4"; diam. at mouth: 11"
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6658
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Copper Cauldron*, a 1937 rendering by Edward Jewett, crafted in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite on paper (35.6 x 26.7 cm). This delicate work captures the gleaming curves and sturdy form of an original copper vessel—standing 21¼ inches high with a maximum diameter of ¼ inches and a mouth of 11 inches—preserving its tactile allure through subtle shading and vibrant hues that evoke polished metal and patina. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, Jewett's drawing documents everyday American cr...
About the Artist
Edward Jewett
Edward Taylor Jewett (1868–1955) was an American artist whose career bridged traditional academic painting and the documentation of vernacular American crafts. Born on March 28, 1868, in New York, Jewett pursued formal training in the late nineteenth century, studying at the Académie Julian in Paris and later under the portraitist J. Carroll Beckwith in New York City. This rigorous education equip...