Money Chest in Old Swedes Church
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink and some heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.7 x 31 cm (8 15/16 x 12 3/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 48"long; 22"wide; 22"high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4654
Art Historical Context
Behold the intricate *Money Chest in Old Swedes Church*, a captivating 1938 watercolor rendering by Samuel Fineman, of the celebrated Index of American Design (AD). Created under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, the IAD commissioned artists like Fineman to meticulously document everyday American folk art and crafts through detailed drawings. This piece preserves the modest yet storied money chest from Holy Trinity Church—known as Old Swedes—in Wilmington, Delaware, one of the nation's oldest houses of worship, founded by Swedish settlers in 1698. Measuring a subs...
About the Artist
Samuel Fineman
Samuel Fineman was an American artist active during the late 1930s, 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 folk art, crafts, and decorative objects, capturing the essence of Ame...