Mahogany Sewing Table
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 47.6 x 37.8 cm (18 3/4 x 14 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 27"high; 16 x 16 1/2 in., top
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5715
Art Historical Context
Created around 1941 by artist Anne B. Trepagnier, *Mahogany Sewing Table* is a meticulous rendering from the Index of American Design (IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression. This initiative employed artists to document America's rich heritage of folk art, crafts, and everyday objects through detailed watercolor studies, preserving cultural artifacts for future generations. Trepagnier's work captures a classic mahogany sewing table—standing 27 inches high with a 16 x 16½-inch top—evoking the refined domestic life of early American households. Rendered ...