Glass Button Hook
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 27.1 x 22.5 cm (10 11/16 x 8 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
1943.8.10860
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of's showcase of the Index of American! *Glass Button Hook* (c. 1938) by Francis Law Durand captures a delicate Victorian-era tool in exquisite detail. This watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard depicts a slender glass button hook, once essential for fastening tight buttons on gloves, shoes, and garments before zippers became commonplace. Measuring 27.1 x 22.5 cm, it exemplifies the precision of Durand's hand, blending soft washes of watercolor to evoke the object's translucent sheen with fine graphite lines for sharp contours. Created as part of the ...
About the Artist
Francis Law Durand
**Francis Law Durand (1906–1995)** Born on March 31, 1906, in Mount Holly, New Jersey, Francis Law Durand emerged as a skilled American draftsman and artist during the Great Depression era. Little is known about his early life or formal training, as biographical details remain sparsely documented beyond his professional output. By 1935, he was employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), ...