Chippendale Secretary
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 50.3 x 40.1 cm (19 13/16 x 15 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 8'7"high; 25"deep. See data sheet for dets.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5596
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Chippendale Secretary*, meticulously rendered depiction by artist Amos C. Brinton, created around 1939 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This ambitious Federal Art Project, launched during the Great Depression under the Works Progress Administration, employed artists across the U.S. to document American objects—from folk art to furniture—preserving cultural heritage through precise, colorful illustrations. Brinton's work captures an original 18th-century Chippendale secretary, standing an impressive 8 feet 7 inches tall and25 inches deep, showcasing the elegant proport...