Scales
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 42.8 x 33.2 cm (16 7/8 x 13 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 14 1/2" long; 11 3/4" high; 1 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
1943.8.13439
Art Historical Context
**Scales** by Harry Grossen, created 1938, is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering on paper from the Index of American Design (IAD). This ambitious Federal Art Project, launched under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, employed artists to document everyday American objects, preserving the nation's folk art and craftsmanship through meticulous illustrations. Grossen's sheet measures 42.8 x 33.2 cm, faithfully capturing a modest set of scales—originally 14½ inches long, 11 inches high, and ¼ inches wide—that exemplifies early American utilitarian design. T...