Rat Trap
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 24.8 x 35.8 cm (9 3/4 x 14 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 10" high; 5" deep; 9 1.4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13384
Art Historical Context
**Rat Trap**, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by artist Henry Waldeck around 1938, meticulously documents a clever American folk object measuring about 10 inches high, 5 deep, and 9¼ inches wide. Created on paperboard (24.8 x 35.8 cm overall), this work showcases the trap's ingenious mechanical design—likely a spring-loaded wooden contraption reflecting everyday Yankee ingenuity from the 19th or early 20th century. Waldeck's precise lines and subtle watercolor washes bring out the object's textures, from rough-hewn wood grains to metallic springs, inviting viewers to appreciate...