Metal Base Lampc. 1936

This is a drawing of a decorative vase design. The central focus of the image is a detailed drawing of a vase with a bulbous body and a flared top, placed on an intricately designed tall stand. The stand features elaborate ornate patterns, giving it an almost floral appearance with its swirling details and golden hue. The vase itself has subtle decorative elements engraved or painted around its surface. Surrounding the primary image are additional sketches showcasing different parts and views of the vase, such as its profile, the pattern, and cross-sectional diagrams. These supplementary sketches provide further insight into the structural and decorative design aspects of the vase. The careful attention to scale and detail suggests this is a design blueprint for a piece of decorative art.

Description from the National Gallery of Art.

Henry Meyers painted this in about 1936. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

How it was made

Watercolour

Pigment in gum arabic, thinned with water and laid in transparent washes. Nothing white is painted: the light is the paper showing through.

Graphite

Pencil. Graphite has been used for drawing since the 1500s; in 1795 Nicolas-Jacques Conté mixed it with clay, so its hardness could be graded.

American folk and design

The everyday art of early America, recorded in watercolour by the Index of American Design.

More from American folk and design