Ice Cream Mold

Art Historical Context

Created around 1941 by artist Chris Makrenos *Ice Cream Mold* is delicate rendering from the Index of American Design (IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) that celebrated everyday American craftsmanship. This watercolor, graphite, and gou work on paper (36 x 32.8 cm) meticulously captures a small metal mold—originally 4 15/16 inches long and 3 13/16 inches wide—likely used in mid-20th-century ice cream parlors or homes to shape festive treats into playful forms. The IAD, active from 1935 to 1942, employed hundreds of artists to document folk art and utilitarian objects, preserving vanishing traditions amid the Great Depression. Makrenos's piece exemplifies this mission, highlighting the whimsical ingenuity of American design through precise shading and vibrant highlights that make the mold's contours pop. Gouache adds opacity for metallic sheen, while graphite sketches fine details, blending technical accuracy with artistic flair. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art, it evokes nostalgia for a sweeter era, underscoring how ordinary tools embodied cultural joy and innovation in pre-war America. A charming reminder of design's role in daily delight!

About the Artist

Chris Makrenos · 1855–present

Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...