Chest was created by Ferdinand Cartier in c. 1939.

When was "Chest" created?

This artwork was created c. 1939.

What medium is "Chest"?

Chest is watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard.

Is "Chest" in the public domain?

Yes, Chest is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Chest

Ferdinand Cartier

c. 1939

Medium

watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard

Dimensions

overall: 45.6 x 51.9 cm (17 15/16 x 20 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 3'6 3/4"high; 3'6 1/16"wide; 19 5/16"deep

Classification

Index of American Design

Department

CG-W

Museum

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Credit

Index of American Design

Accession Number

1943.8.5821

Art Historical Context

This vibrant rendering of a chest, created by artist Ferdinand Cartier around 1939, captures the details of an American furniture piece from the Index of American Design. Part of a landmark Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, Index employed artists to document everyday objects of American folk and decorative arts, preserving cultural heritage through precise, colorful illustrations. Cartier's work exemplifies this mission, transforming a functional chest—measuring about 3 feet 6 inches high, wide, and 19 inches deep—into a study of craftsmanship that highlights reg...

About the Artist

Ferdinand Cartier

Ferdinand Cartier is an artist whose historical record remains limited. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and his national origin and training background are not documented in surviving sources, making it difficult to place him within any specific artistic tradition or school. Cartier's presence in museum collections, with close to fifty works attributed to him, points to a...

Chest

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