Flint Lock
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.8 x 35.3 cm (18 1/16 x 13 7/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10313
Art Historical Context
**Flint Lock** by Stanley Mazur created around 1941, is a meticulous rendering in watercolor, graphite, and pencil on paperboard, 45.8 x 35.3 cm. This work belongs to the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and early 1940s that artists to document everyday American objects, crafts, and folk art through precise, colorful illustrations. Mazur's piece captures the intricate mechanics of a flintlock—a key firearm component from the 17th to 19th centuries—highlighting its gleaming metal parts and functional elegance. The Index aimed to celebrate and preserve America'...
About the Artist
Stanley Mazur
**Stanley Mazur (1903–1978)** was an American artist best known for his meticulous watercolor renderings created as part of the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiative during the Great Depression era. This ambitious project commissioned artists across the United States to document everyday folk art objects, crafts, and tools that embodied the nation's cultural he...