Iron Breast Plate
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29 x 24.5 cm (11 7/16 x 9 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 19" high; 11 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
1943.8.9004
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Iron Breast Plate a meticulous 19351942 watercolor and graphite on paper from the National Gallery of Art's Index American Design collection. Created by an anonymous 20th-century artist this 29 x 24.5 cm (11 7/16 x 9 5/8 in.) depiction faithfully captures a historical artifact measuring 19 inches high and 11 1/2 inches wide—likely a piece of early American or colonial iron armor, emblematic of the nation's craft traditions. Part of the Federal Art Project the Works Progress Administration (PA) during the Great Depression, Index of American Design commissioned artists nationwide to...
About the Artist
American 20th Century
"American 20th Century" is the designation used by major institutions such as the National Gallery of Art (NGA) for anonymous and unidentified artists active in the United States during the twentieth century. The artist's personal identity, early life, and training remain undocumented, reflecting the challenges of attribution for unattributed works from this era. No specific teachers, art schools,...