Fireplace Kettle
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.3 x 23 cm (11 9/16 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11943
Art Historical Context
**Fireplace Kettle** by Hugh Clarke, created around 1936, captures the humble yet essential beauty of an early American cast-iron cooking vessel in exquisite detail. This watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper measures a compact 29.3 x 23 cm, showcasing Clarke's skill in translating three-dimensional folk objects into vivid, two-dimensional studies. Part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, it belongs to the Index of American (CG-W classification), a treasure trove documenting everyday American craftsmanship. Produced under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great ...