Four Poster Bed
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 50.9 x 40.6 cm (20 1/16 x 16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16500
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of American decorative arts with *Four Poster Bed*, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Peter C. Ust, created around 1940. This detailed depiction captures the grandeur of a classic four-poster, a staple of colonial and early American furnishings symbolizing comfort, status, and craftsmanship. Measuring 50.9 x 40.6 cm, the work showcases the bed's ornate posts, canopy, and intricate carvings, evoking the opulence of 18th- or 19th-century bedrooms. As part of the *Index of American Design*, a monumental WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s and early...