Shaker Hand Loom
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 25.6 x 30.2 cm (10 1/16 x 11 7/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16783
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Shaker Hand Loom*, a meticulous 1937 watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering by Alfred H. Smith, measuring just 10 x 12 inches. Part of the Index of American Design—a Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression—this artwork preserves the essence of everyday American craftsmanship through precise, documentary-style illustration. Smith captures the elegant simplicity of a Shaker hand loom, a tool emblematic of the Shakers, a 19th-century religious community famed for their austere yet functional designs. Shaker looms, used to we...
About the Artist
Alfred H. Smith
Alfred H. Smith was an American artist active from around 1935 to 1953, best known for his meticulous watercolor and graphite drawings documenting American folk and decorative arts. Little is known about his early life or formal training, as biographical details remain sparsely documented beyond his contributions to federal art initiatives. During the Great Depression, Smith participated in the In...