Chest
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, gouache and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 45.5 cm (14 x 17 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 23"wide; 27"high; 44"long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5840
Art Historical Context
Grace Bolser's *Chest* (c. 1939) is a meticulous rendering of an American furniture piece, captured in watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, graphite on paperboard. Measuring 35.5 x 45.5 cm (14 x 17 15/16 in.), this work vividly documents a chest originally 23 inches wide, 27 inches, and 44 inches. Bolser's skilled use of mixed media brings out the wood grains, hardware details, and ornamental elements, transforming a functional object into a study of craftsmanship and form. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) duri...