Pewter Caster
1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 55.5 x 28 cm (21 7/8 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 14" high; 7 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13078
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Pewter Caster*, a meticulous 1936 rendering by J. Howard Iams, capturing the elegance of early American craftsmanship. Created using watercolor, graphite, and gou on paperboard, this55.5 x 28 cm work depicts an original pewter object standing 14 inches high and7½ inches wide. Iams's precise technique blends fluidity of watercolor for subtle tones, the fine lines of graphite for intricate details, and the opacity of gouache for rich, bringing the gleaming metal to life on a flat surface. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Proje...
About the Artist
J. Howard Iams
John Howard Iams (1897–1964) was an American artist and self-described artist-historian whose passion for the regional past of southwestern Pennsylvania shaped one of the most distinctive careers to emerge from the Federal Art Project era. Born in Amwell Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, Iams grew up in the North Ten Mile region near the border of Greene County, a landscape steeped in col...