Card Table

Art Historical Context

**Card Table**, a meticulously rendered depiction by artist Florence Neal in 1936, captures the elegance of an American card table through a vibrant mixed-media approach. Created with watercolor, colored pencil, pen ink, and graphite onboard (measuring 29.1 x 22.6 cm), this showcases Neal's skill in translating three-dimensional furniture into a precise, colorful illustration. The table itself exemplifies early American craftsmanship, likely featuring ornate details typical of period gaming furniture. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, the IAD employed artists like Neal to document everyday objects of American folk and decorative arts, preserving cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Neal's contribution highlights the program's mission to celebrate regional ingenuity and historical artifacts through faithful reproductions. Neal's technique—layering translucent watercolors for depth, sharp ink lines for contours, and pencil for fine shading—brings the wood grains, inlays, and hardware to life with remarkable realism. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece not only educates on 18th- or 19th-century design but also honors the WPA artists who bridged art and documentation, offering visitors a window into America's artistic legacy.