Bookcase
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.6 x 27.9 cm (14 x 11 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10421
Art Historical Context
Henry Meyers' *Bookcase* (1935/1942) is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 14 x 11 inches. Created during the Great Depression era, this work exemplifies the meticulous draftsmanship of the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project that employed artists to document everyday American objects, furniture, and crafts. Meyers, one of many skilled contributors, captured the elegant lines and proportions of this bookcase, highlighting its functional beauty as a piece of vernacular design. The Index, spanning 1935 to 1942, produced over 1...
About the Artist
Henry Meyers
Henry Meyers was an American artist active during the 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a monumental Works Progress Administration (WPA) project that sought to document the nation's rich heritage of folk art, crafts, and decorative objects. Operating under the Federal Art Project, Meyers produced precise, watercolor and graphite renderings of ...