Two Tin Rattles
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.5 x 22.1 cm (11 1/4 x 8 11/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 5 1/2" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15712
Art Historical Context
**Two Tin Rattles** by Raoul Du Bois, created around 1936, captures the charming simplicity of everyday American folk objects in a delicate watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper (28.5 x 22.1 cm). This work depicts a pair of tin rattles, originally about 5 1/2 inches long—humble toys likely crafted by hand in the tradition of early American craftsmanship. Du Bois, a skilled illustrator, renders their shiny metallic surfaces and playful forms with meticulous detail, evoking the tactile joy of childhood playthings from a bygone era. As part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a groundb...