Wall Painting and Baptismal Niche
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.4 x 26.5 cm (13 15/16 x 10 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: none given
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5968
Art Historical Context
Harry Mann Waddell's *Wall Painting and Baptismaliche* (1938) is a meticulous rendering capturing the intricate details of an American ecclesiastical artwork. Created in watercolor, colored pencil, and on paper (35.4 x 26.5 cm), this piece showcases Waddell's skill in blending vibrant hues with precise line work to document architectural ornamentation, likely from a historic church or mission site. The baptismal niche, a recessed space for sacramental rites, and its surrounding wall painting evoke early American religious artistry, blending European influences with regional craftsmanship. As ...
About the Artist
Harry Mann Waddell
Harry Mann Waddell (1876–1956) was an American artist born on June 22, 1876, in Ohio, whose career flourished in California after he settled in Los Angeles by 1936. There he established a studio, working as a freelance draftsman while creating fine art in his spare time. His early life and formal training remain not well documented, but by the late 1930s, Waddell had become a key contributor to th...