China Closet

Art Historical Context

**China Closet**, a collaborative watercolor rendering by artists Gordon Saltar and Edward. Loper around 1937, brings to life a classic piece of American furniture from the of American Design. This Federal Art Project, launched under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) the Great Depression, employed artists to meticulously document everyday objects of American material culture—furniture, tools, textiles, and morecreating over 15,000 precise illustrations now treasured in collections like the National Gallery of Art. Measuring just 12 x 9 inches on paper, the work captures a substantial china closet (originally 58 inches tall and 52 inches wide), likely a fine example of period cabinetry designed to display cherished dishware. The mixed-media technique—watercolor for fluid tones, gouache for opaque vibrancy, colored pencil and graphite for fine details—exemplifies the Index's commitment to hyper-realistic accuracy, blending artistic skill with scholarly precision. This approach not only preserved vanishing folk and vernacular designs amid rapid modernization but also celebrated the ingenuity of American craftsmanship. For visitors, *China Closet* offers a window into domestic life, where functional beauty housed family heirlooms, reminding us of the WPA's vital role in fostering national pride through art.