Maple Butter Bowl
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 36.1 x 52.6 cm (14 3/16 x 20 11/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 12 1/4" long; 8 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8769
Art Historical Context
**Maple Butter Bowl** a meticulous rendering by artist Clyde L. Cheney, between 1935 and1942 as part of Index of American Design. This and graphite drawing on paper (36.1 x 52.6 cm) captures a humble yet charming wooden folk object—a traditional bowl used to hold maple butter, a sweetened spread made from boiled-down maple syrup. Cheney's precise technique highlights the bowl's smooth curves, subtle grain, and functional form, evoking the craftsmanship of early American artisans. Produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the...
About the Artist
Clyde L. Cheney
Clyde L. Cheney is an artist about whom little is currently known. No dates of birth or death have been established, and his nationality and artistic training are not documented in surviving historical records. With nearly fifty works attributed to him in institutional collections, Cheney's output points to an active career. The middle initial suggests a deliberate professional identity, but corr...