Pa. German Plate

Art Historical Context

**Pa. German Plate** by William L. An, created around 1941, is a meticulous rendering of a traditional Pennsylvania German folk art plate. Measuring 41.6 x 37.6 cm, this work captures the vibrant, handcrafted pottery beloved by the Pennsylvania Dutch community—descendants of 18th-century German immigrants. These plates often feature bold sgraffito (scratched) designs or slip-decorated motifs of flowers, birds, and hearts, symbolizing prosperity, love, and rural life in colonial America. Part of the *Index of American Design*, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from 1935–1942, Antrim's piece preserves everyday American crafts during the Great Depression. Funded to employ artists and celebrate national heritage, the Index produced over 15,000 watercolor renderings like this one, documenting regional folk traditions before they faded. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it highlights how such objects embodied cultural identity and craftsmanship. Antrim employed watercolor for luminous color, graphite for fine shading, and pen and ink for crisp outlines, creating a lifelike study that bridges historical artifact and modern appreciation. This artwork invites visitors to marvel at Pennsylvania German ingenuity, where humble kitchenware became canvases for exuberant storytelling.

About the Artist

William L. Antrim · 1865–1941

William L. Antrim is recorded in museum collections with a body of work that speaks to a sustained artistic practice, even as the biographical details that might illuminate his training, nationality, and career arc remain difficult to establish from existing documentation. His name appears consistently enough across holdings to confirm a genuine and productive engagement with his chosen medium, wh...