Carrier
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 34.2 x 24 cm (13 7/16 x 9 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 30" high; 18 1/4" wide; 1" thick; canvas: 1 1/2" wide; crotched stick" 11 3/4" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9137
Art Historical Context
**Carrier** by Wilbur M. Rice, created around 1938, is a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 34.2 x 24 cm. This intimate-scale work captures the essence of everyday American folk object—a sturdy carrier, originally 30 inches high with 18¼-inch width featuring a 1½-inch canvas and an 11¾ crotched stick handle.'s precise graphite underdrawing with vibrant watercolors highlights the object's woven texture and functional form, evoking the craftsmanship of rural American life. As part of the *Index of American Design*IAD), a Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Admi...
About the Artist
Wilbur M Rice
**Wilbur M. Rice (1909–1974)** was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Active primarily between 1935 and 1942, Rice produced detailed watercolor, gouache, and graphite renderings of everyday American folk objects, tools, toys, and crafts. Thes...