Woodcarving of a Lion
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 40.6 x 30.7 cm (16 x 12 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: about 8' tall
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8239
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *Woodcarving of a*, a captivating rendering by artist Alice Stearns, around 1937. This detailed study, executed in watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on (measuring 40.6 x 30.7 cm), vividly captures an original folk art woodcarving standing about 8 feet tall. Stearns's meticulous technique brings the lion's powerful form to life, blending soft watercolor hues with precise ink lines and graphite shading to highlight its textures and dynamic posture. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s, this work served a v...
About the Artist
Alice Stearns
Alice Stearns was an American artist active around 1935, renowned for her precise watercolor and gouache renderings of everyday American folk art objects. Working under the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project, she contributed to the Index of American Design, a Depression-era initiative launched in 1935 to document the nation's crafts, decorative arts, and vernacular designs b...