Plate

Art Historical Context

This delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, titled *Plate* and created by Albert Eyth around 1936, captures the design of a 9-inch diameter American plate. Measuring 35.4 x 27.8 cm overall, the sheet showcases Eyth's meticulous draftsmanship, blending soft washes of color with precise graphite lines to document every curve, pattern, and glaze of the original object. As part of the National Gallery Art's collection, it exemplifies the artistry of everyday American craftsmanship. Eyth's work belongs to the Index of Design, a monumental Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, the IAD employed artists across the U.S. to produce over 15,000 watercolor renderings of folk art, decorative objects, and vernacular designs, preserving a visual record of the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship. This plate study reflects that mission, highlighting regional pottery traditions that blended European influences with American ingenuity. Through its luminous technique, the piece not only revives a humble household item but also underscores the IAD's role in elevating design to fine art. Visitors can appreciate how such documentation safeguarded ephemeral objects, offering a window into 19th- and early 20th-century domestic life.