Pa. German Plate
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 41.6 x 37.6 cm (16 3/8 x 14 13/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3518
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, Antri...
About the Artist
William L. Antrim
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...