Bed
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 28.4 cm (14 x 11 3/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 73 1/2" long, 51" wide, 49 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4002
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Great Depression, Wellington Blewett created *Bed* around 1936 as part of the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project. This meticulous watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard (35.5 x 28.4 cm) captures an exquisite American bed measuring 73½ inches long, 51 inches wide, and 49½ inches. Blewett's work preserves the intricate details of this likely folk or vernacular furniture piece, highlighting the craftsmanship of early American decorative arts. The Index of American Design (1935–1942) employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday objects, f...
About the Artist
Wellington Blewett
**Wellington Blewett (1875–1962)** was a Canadian-born American artist renowned for his meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday American folk objects. Active primarily in the late 1930s, Blewett contributed significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that sought to document the nation's vernacular artistic heritage through...