Cast Lead Dog
c. 1939
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27 x 21.9 cm (10 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8303
Art Historical Context
**Cast Lead Dog** Herman Bader, created around 1939, is a meticulous graphite drawing on, measuring 27 x 21. cm. This delicate work captures the charming form of a cast lead dog, a folk art toy or decorative object from American material culture. Bader's lines and subtle shading highlight the dog's sturdy posture and playful expression, rendering its metallic texture with remarkable fidelity on a modest sheet. As part of the *Index of American Design*—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this piece exemplifies efforts to document everyday American crafts during the Great...
About the Artist
Herman Bader
Herman Bader is an artist whose life and career are poorly documented in existing historical sources. No birth or death dates have been confirmed, and his nationality or place of work remains uncertain, leaving significant gaps in any account of his development as an artist. The body of work attributed to Bader, preserved in collections, suggests he was a productive figure in his era. His artisti...