Platter
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 23.4 x 25 cm (9 3/16 x 9 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 1/4" x 6 3/4" x 1 3/4"
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7248
Art Historical Context
This watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering of a platter, created by Joseph Sudek around 1937, belongs to the Index of American Design at the National Gallery of Art. Measuring about 9 by 10 inches, it faithfully records an original serving piece roughly 10¼ inches long, 6¾ inches wide, and 1¾ inches deep. The mixed-media technique on paperboard allowed artists to capture precise contours, surfaces, and decorative details with both scientific accuracy and artistic sensitivity. The Index of American Design was a New Deal project of the Federal Art Project that employed skilled artists...
About the Artist
Joseph Sudek
Josef Sudek (1896–1976) was a Czech photographer widely regarded as one of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century, known for his poetic, intimate images of Prague and his mastery of light. Born in Kolín, Bohemia, he lost his right arm during World War I and turned to photography during his convalescence, studying at the State School of Graphic Arts in Prague from 1922 to 1924. Sudek ...