Fire Tongs and Shovel
c. 1937
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 27.8 x 22.4 cm (10 15/16 x 8 13/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10272
Art Historical Context
Created around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design, Hans Korsch’s *Fire Tongs and Shovel* captures the quiet dignity of everyday household tools. This federal initiative, launched during the Great Depression, employed artists to document American decorative arts and crafts through precise drawings, preserving a visual record of objects that might otherwise have been lost to time. Korsch rendering of these simple fireplace implements highlights their functional elegance and the handcrafted traditions behind them. Rendered in graphite on paperboard, the drawing demonstrates the careful...
About the Artist
Hans Korsch
Hans Korsch was an American artist active during the mid-20th century, primarily around 1935 to the early 1950s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal program employed artists to document everyday American folk art and design objects through precise watercolor renderi...