Silver Punch Ladle
c. 1936
Medium
graphite and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.5 x 22.2 cm (11 5/8 x 8 3/4 in.) Original IAD Object: 13 1/8" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14459
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Silver Punch Ladle*, meticulous rendering by artist Harold Smith, created around 1936. This graphite and colored pencil drawing on paper (29.5 x 22.2 cm) captures delicate form of a 13 1/8-inch-long silver punch ladle, its graceful handle and functional bowl with precise shading and subtle hues that evoke the metal's luster. Part of the renowned Index of American Design (IAD), this work stems from a Works Progress Administration (WPA project during the Great Depression (1935–1942). Commissioned to document America's rich heritage of crafts and decorative arts, the IAD em...