Mortar and Pestle

Art Historical Context

In the Index of American Design, a WPA-era project from the 1930s and 1940s, artist Maurice Van Felix captured the humble yet essential mortar and pestle in exquisite detail around 1941. Rendered in graphite on paperboard (34.3 x 26.8 cm), this meticulously documents an original object measuring 7 inches in diameter and 6 7/8 inches high. Van Felix's precise lines and shading highlight the tool's functional form—likely a piece of American folk craft used for grinding herbs, spices, or grains in everyday households. The Index aimed to preserve vanishing examples of American material culture, from utilitarian wares to decorative arts, through over 15,000 such watercolor and graphite renderings. Van Felix's work exemplifies the project's artistic technique: hyper-realistic depiction that emphasizes texture, wear, and craftsmanship, bridging fine art with industrial design. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it invites us to appreciate how ordinary objects embody cultural heritage and ingenuity. This mortar and pestle, frozen in time, reminds visitors of the artistry in the commonplace—tools that sustained American homes for generations.

About the Artist

Maurice Van Felix

Maurice Van Felix was born on March 16, 1889, in Łódź, Poland, and later became a prominent figure in American art circles after immigrating to the United States. His early training took place in Poland and France, where he honed his skills as a painter and etcher before settling in Brooklyn, New York, by 1919. Though details of his formal education remain sparse, Van Felix quickly established him...