Mantle Clock
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and some heightening on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 24.7 cm (12 x 9 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: 25"high x 15"wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4810
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Mantle Clock*, a meticulously rendered depiction by artist Lon Cronk around 1937. This watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and heightening on paperboard (30.5 x 24.7 cm) captures the elegance of an original American mantle clock measuring 25 inches high by 15 inches wide. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, it showcases Cronk's skill in translating three-dimensional craftsmanship into a vibrant, two-dimensional study. Created as part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depres...
About the Artist
Lon Cronk
Lon Cronk remains one of the more elusive figures in the broader history of art, with biographical records offering little concrete detail about his life, training, or national background. The limited documentation surrounding his career makes it difficult to situate him within a specific movement or tradition, though works attributed to him suggest a practitioner of some technical competence. Wh...