Mahogany Desk with Bookcase Top
Medium
watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.4 x 22.9 cm (11 15/16 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: none given
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4946
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Mahogany Desk with Bookcase Top*, a meticulously rendered depiction by artist George Loughridge in 1936. This, gouache, colored pencil, and graphite on paper (30.4 x 22.9 cm) captures the elegant lines and rich grain of a classic American furniture piece, showcasing its functional beauty with a bookcase top for scholarly pursuits. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942—this work documents the nation's design heritage during the Great Depression. Artists like Loughridge produced thousands of detailed illu...
About the Artist
George Loughridge
George Loughridge was an American artist active during the 1930s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious New Deal initiative, running from 1935 to 1943, commissioned hundreds of artists across the United States to create meticulously detailed watercolor renderings of everyday American fol...