Pewter Porringer
c. 1936
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 23.1 cm (12 x 9 1/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13190
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Pewter Porringer*, a meticulous graphite drawing by Charles Cullen, created around 1936. This 30.5 x 23.1 cm study captures the subtle sheen and graceful curves of a classic colonial-era pewter bowl, used for serving porridge or as a child's drinking vessel. Rendered in fine pencil lines on paper, Cullen's work highlights the object's simple yet elegant form, reflecting the everyday craftsmanship of early American metalwork. As part of the *Index of American Design*, piece emerged from a groundbreaking Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression (1935–1...
About the Artist
Charles Cullen
Charles Cullen (1888–1939) was an American illustrator and graphic artist whose career bridged the worlds of literary publishing and federal art projects during the Great Depression. Born on December 19, 1887, in LeRoy, New York—southwest of Rochester—he was the sixth of seven children to Matthew Cullen, an Irish immigrant engineer born in 1854, and Ellen, who was Canadian-born. The family relocat...