Steel Fork
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 24.9 x 20.2 cm (9 13/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10331
Art Historical Context
**Steel Fork**, a meticulous rendering by artist Fred Hassebrock 1938, captures the elegant simplicity of an everyday American utensil through watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper. just under 10 by 8 inches, this compact work belongs to the *Index of American Design*, treasure trove of over 18,000 detailed illustrations documenting the nation's artistic heritage. Created during the Great Depression as part of the Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (PA), the Index employed artists like Hassebrock to celebrate folk art, crafts, and industrial designs. This piece hi...
About the Artist
Fred Hassebrock
Fred Hassebrock is an artist for whom biographical documentation is very limited. No birth or death dates have been established, and his nationality and training are not recorded in major reference sources. His name does not appear prominently in standard art-historical surveys, and the specifics of his career — the schools he attended, the teachers who influenced him, the movements with which he...