Box Desk
1935/1942
Medium
pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.9 x 29.2 cm (9 x 11 1/2 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10405
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Box Desk*, a meticulous pen and ink rendering by artist Arthur Johnson, created between 1935 and 1942. Measuring a compact 22.9 x 29.2 cm (9 x 11½ in.), this drawing captures the elegant simplicity of an American furniture design—a portable slant-top desk that epitomizes early colonial craftsmanship. Johnson's precise lines evoke the wood's grain, subtle curves, and functional hardware, transforming a utilitarian object into a study of form and utility. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artis...
About the Artist
Arthur Johnson
Arthur Johnson is an artist whose biographical details are not well established in the major art historical literature. Without confirmed dates, nationality, or documentation of training, it is not possible to place him with confidence within a particular school, movement, or cultural tradition. The name Arthur Johnson is common enough that confusion among multiple individuals of the same name ma...