Mahogany Cradle

Art Historical Context

**Mahogany Cradle** *Louis Plogsted, c. 1937* Watercolor, colored pencil, graphite on paperboard, 22.9 × 30.5 cm (9 × 12 in.) *Index of American Design, National Gallery of Art* Step into the elegant world of American craftsmanship with Louis Plogsted's *Mahogany Cradle*, meticulous rendering from the Index of American. Created around 1937, this artwork captures the graceful curves and rich grain of a full-sized mahogany cradle—originally measuring 35 inches long, inches deep, and 16½ inches wide. Plogsted's precise use of watercolor for luminous wood tones, colored pencil for fine details, and graphite for sharp outlines brings the heirloom-quality piece to life on a modest paperboard sheet, highlighting its hood, rockers, and ornate spindles. As part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) commissioned artists like Plogsted to document everyday treasures of American folk art and design. This watercolor preserves the cultural legacy of colonial-era woodworking traditions, celebrating the skill of anonymous makers who crafted enduring family heirlooms. Today, it reminds us how such projects safeguarded vanishing artifacts, offering a window into America's inventive spirit and material heritage.