Silver Teapot
c. 1938
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29 x 36.8 cm (11 7/16 x 14 1/2 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 5/8" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14175
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Silver Teapot*, a meticulous graphite drawing on paperboard by artist Michaelenga, created around 1938. Measuring 29 x 36.8 cm, this work captures the elegant form of a real silver teapot standing 6 5/8 inches high. Fenga's precise lines highlight the object's graceful curves, spout, and handle, rendering its shimmering metallic surface with remarkable realism through subtle shading and texture. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a New Deal-era Federal Art Project (1935–1942) under the Works Progress Administration. During the Great Depression, artists like F...
About the Artist
Michael Fenga
**Michael Fenga (1913–2006)** was an American artist best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Born around 1913, likely in New York given the project's regional focus, Fenga's early life and artistic training remain sparsely documented, with no records of specific tea...