Mantel Clock
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 22.9 cm (12 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 18 3/4"high; 10 1/2" and 3 3/4" deep at base. Door 7"wide.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4791
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Mantel Clock*, a meticulously rendered depiction by artist Ernest A. Towers, Jr., created between 1935 1942. This, colored pencil, gouache, pen-and-ink drawing on paper (30.5 x 22.9 cm) captures elegant form of an original mantel clock measuring 18¾ inches high, with a base 10½ inches wide and 3¾ inches deep featuring a 7-inch-wide door. As part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, it exemplifies the precision and artistry used to document everyday American treasures. This work belongs to the Index of American Design (IAD), a landmark Federal Art Project under th...
About the Artist
Ernest A. Towers, Jr.
Ernest A. Towers, Jr. was an American artist active during the late 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create watercolor renderings of everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative objec...