Drawknife

Art Historical Context

**Drawknife** by George C. Brown, created around 1938, captures the elegant simplicity of a traditional woodworking tool watercolor and graphite on paper (35 x 24.3 cm). This precise rendering showcases the drawknife's curved blade and sturdy handles, tools essential for shaping wood in early American craftsmanship. Brown's work exemplifies the meticulous draftsmanship valued in documenting everyday objects that shaped colonial and frontier life. As part of the *Index of American Design*, a WPA Federal Art Project from 1935–1942, this piece reflects New Deal efforts to celebrate and preserve ...