Spinning Wheel
c. 1936
Medium
graphite and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.4 x 22.7 cm (11 9/16 x 8 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 26" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14845
Art Historical Context
Irene Malawicz's *Spinning Wheel* (c. 1936) is a delicate yet precise rendering in graphite and colored pencil on paper, measuring 29.4 x 22.7 cm. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), work meticulously documents a traditional American spinning wheel—originally 26 inches long—casing its functional curves, wooden grain, and mechanical details. Malawicz's technique blends fine-line graphite for structure with subtle colored pencil for warmth and texture, evoking the handmade quality of colonial-era crafts. The...