Armchair

Art Historical Context

This delicate pen-and-ink and graphite drawing the elegant form of an American armchair, rendered with meticulous attention to line and proportion. Created around 1936 by artist Lorenz Rothkranz, the work measures over 8 by 11 inches and serves a precise record of an original chair that stood 37 inches high, 24 inches wide, and 19 inches deep. Through careful shading and contour, Rothkranz translates the wooden frame and upholstered seat into a clear, study-like image suitable for documentation. The drawing belongs to the Index of American Design, a New Deal-era project that employed hundreds of artists to record significant examples of American decorative arts. These renderings helped preserve visual knowledge of furniture, textiles, and household objects from the colonial period through the early twentieth century, many of which might otherwise have been lost or forgotten. Rothkranz’s use of pen and graphite allowed for the crisp detail needed to convey construction and ornament, making the image both an artistic work and a valuable historical reference. Today, visitors can appreciate how such drawings highlight the craftsmanship of everyday American objects while reflecting the broader cultural effort to celebrate national design heritage during challenging economic times.

About the Artist

Lorenz Rothkranz · 1855–present

Lorenz Rothkranz (1898–1970) was an American artist best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Born on April 10, 1898, in Manhattan, New York, Rothkranz captured the essence of early American folk art and decorative objects through highly detailed watercolor renderings...