Andiron (one of pair)

Art Historical Context

This graphite drawing by Hans Korsch captures one of a pair of andirons, functional fireplace supports that held logs above the hearth. Created around 1937 as part the Index of American Design, the work measures roughly 11 by 8 on paperboard and records an original object standing 25½ inches tall. The Index, a Depression-era project under the Works Progress Administration, sent artists across the United States to produce precise renderings of American decorative arts before such objects disappeared from everyday life. Korsch’s choice of graphite on paperboard allowed for crisp lines and subtl...

About the Artist

Hans Korsch

Hans Korsch was an American artist active during the mid-20th century, primarily around 1935 to the early 1950s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal program employed artists to document everyday American folk art and design objects through precise watercolor renderi...