Whiskey Glass
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 24.5 x 34.7 cm (9 5/8 x 13 11/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11170
Art Historical Context
Behold the elegant simplicity of *Whiskey Glass*, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Chris Makrenos, created around 1941. Measuring 24.5 x 34.7 cm, this delicate work on paper captures the subtle curves and crystalline sheen of an everyday American drinking vessel, transforming it into a study of form and function. As part of the Index of American Design—a monumental WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and early 1940s—this piece exemplifies the era's effort to document and celebrate the nation's folk art and decorative traditions amid the Great Depression. Artists like Makr...
About the Artist
Chris Makrenos
Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...