Highboy

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Highboy*, a meticulous rendering by artist Frederick Jackson from the Index of American Design, created between 1935 and 1942. This small-scale work (11 x 9 inches) captures the elegant form of a classic American highboy—a tall chest of popular in the 18th century, emblematic of colonial craftsmanship. Produced under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, the Index aimed to document and celebrate America's rich heritage of decorative arts through over 15,000 precise watercolor illustrations, preserving objects that might otherwise fade from memory. Jackson masterfully employs watercolor for vibrant wood tones and finishes, graphite for sharp outlines and intricate details like carved motifs or brass hardware, and colored pencil for subtle highlights and textures. This mixed-media approach on paper allowed for hyper-realistic accuracy, mimicking the furniture's sheen and grain while fitting the project's goal of scholarly reproduction. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it exemplifies how artists transformed historical artifacts into accessible, enduring records. Culturally, the *Highboy* reflects regional pride in American furniture design, blending European influences with local ingenuity. As part of the Index, Jackson's piece not only educates on design evolution but also honors the WPA's role in employing artists to foster national identity during tough times—a timeless tribute to creativity's resilience.