Water Spout
1939
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.7 x 26.8 cm (14 1/16 x 10 9/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 2'wide x 2 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
1943.8.7571
Art Historical Context
In 1939, artist Raymond E. Noble created *Water Spout* as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this initiative employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday objects embodying America's folk art and design heritage—from colonial crafts to 19th-century vernacular pieces. Noble's precise rendering captures a functional yet decorative water spout, originally measuring 2 feet wide by 2½ feet high, likely a carved wooden or metal rainwater conductor evoking regional craftsmanship. Executed in watercolor,...