Armchair
1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, and some heightening on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.7 x 22.8 cm (11 5/16 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 37"high, 24"wide, 19"deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4231
Art Historical Context
Lorenz Rothkranz's *Armchair* (1936) is a meticulous rendering of an American furniture piece, capturing its elegant form in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil and subtle heightening on paper. Measuring 28.7 x 22.8 cm (11 5/16 x 9 in.), this intimate drawing depicts an original armchair standing 37 inches high, 24 inches wide, 19 inches deep— that suggest a comfortable, mid-scale design suited for domestic life. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, the work reflects New Deal efforts to document ...