Tin Bath Tub
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.3 x 29.6 cm (8 3/4 x 11 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 1/2" high; 38" in diameter; center well: 18" in diameter; outer flange: 12" wide; seat: 11 1/2" wide; 8 1/2" deep; outlet: 3" wide; brace: 8 1/2" high.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8646
Art Historical Context
Gordon Saltar's *Tin Bath Tub* (c. 1937) captures the humble charm of an everyday American household object from the early 20th century.ed in watercolor, gouache, and graphite paper (22.3 x 29.6 cm), this precise depiction showcases a portable tin bathtub—measuring 10 1/2 inches high and 38 inches in diameter with a center well of 18 inches and practical features like an 8 1/2-inch-deep seat and 3-inch outlet. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a WPA Federal Art Project initiative (1935–1942), the artwork documents vernacular American crafts during the Great Depression, pre...