Branding Iron
c. 1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 35.5 cm (11 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: 34" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8882
Art Historical Context
**Branding Iron**, a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering by Elizabeth Johnson circa 1942, captures rugged elegance of an American ranching tool. Measuring 27.9 x 35.5 cm (11 x 14 in.), this work meticulously depicts a 34-inch-long branding iron, an essential implement for marking livestock on the frontier. Johnson's precise graphite outlines and subtle watercolor washes bring out the iron's functional form—its curved handle and distinctive brand symbol—transforming a utilitarian object into a study of form and texture. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Works Prog...
About the Artist
Elizabeth Johnson
Elizabeth Johnson is an artist about whom very little biographical information is currently available in standard reference sources. No birth or death dates have been established, and her nationality and training are not documented. Given the commonality of the name, it is difficult to identify this particular Elizabeth Johnson with confidence among the many artists who have worked under that nam...