Onion Kettle
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.8 x 30.4 cm (9 x 11 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 9 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
1943.8.13401
Art Historical Context
**Onion Kettle**, a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering by Harry Jennings around 1937, captures the elegant curves of a classic American folk object. Measuring 22.8 x 30.4 cm, this work belongs to the National Gallery of's Index of American Design. Jennings, like many artists of his era, employed precise graphite underdrawings enhanced by translucent watercolor washes to document everyday artifacts with museum-quality fidelity, highlighting their form, texture, and subtle patina. Created as part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great D...