Food Chopper
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 26.1 x 36.9 cm (10 1/4 x 14 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 5 1/4" high; 8 1/4" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9435
Art Historical Context
**Food Chopper**, a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering by Earl Butlin from around 1938, captures the humble of an everyday American kitchen tool. Part of the *Index of American Design*a landmark Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (PA) during the Great—this artwork documents a functional object measuring 5¼ inches high and 8¼ inches long Created amid economic hardship, the Index employed artists nationwide to preserve America's folk art and design heritage through over 15,000 precise illustrations, ensuring that ordinary items like this food chopper were celeb...