Halyard Block
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 40.8 x 30.5 cm (16 1/16 x 12 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11432
Art Historical Context
**Halyard Block** Lloyd Charles Lemcke, in 1939, is a meticulous rendering of a traditional nautical pulley used in maritime rigging to hoist sails. Part of the *Index of American Design*a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and 1940s—this watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, and graphite drawing on paper (40.8 x 30.5 cm) captures the functional beauty of American craftsmanship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art CG-W Department, it exemplifies the Index's mission to document everyday objects that shaped U.S. cultural heritage, from folk art to industrial tools. Lemcke's sk...
About the Artist
Lloyd Charles Lemcke
Lloyd Charles Lemcke was an American artist active around 1935, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that aimed to document the nation's folk crafts and vernacular objects through precise artistic renderings. Little is known about Lemcke's early life or formal training, as biographical detai...