Iron Bit
1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.4 x 28 cm (13 15/16 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 9" long; 5 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14602
Art Historical Context
**Iron Bit** by Ethel Dougan, in 1938, the sturdy elegance of an early American blacksmith's masterpiece—a functional horse bit measuring 9 inches long and5½ inches wide. Rendered in watercolor and graphite on paperboard (35.4 × 28 cm overall),gan's precise drawing highlights the iron tool's intricate curves, forged details, and patina, transforming a utilitarian object into a study of form and craftsmanship. This artwork is a gem from the *Index of American Design*, a Depression-era Federal Art Project (1935–1942) under the Works Progress Administration. Artists like Dougan documented everyd...
About the Artist
Ethel Dougan
Ethel Dougan is an artist about whom the historical record offers very limited information. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and her nationality remains uncertain, making it difficult to situate her work within a specific artistic tradition or period with confidence. The works attributed to Dougan suggest an individual with genuine artistic training and a developed sensibi...