School Seat
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 23.2 x 27.9 cm (9 1/8 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 4'10" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4102
Art Historical Context
**School Seat**, a captivating watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite by Annie B. Johnston from around 1938, meticulously documents a traditional American school bench measuring 4 feet 10 long. Created at 23.2 x 27.9 cm (9 1/8 x 11 in.), this intimate drawing captures the humble yet essential furniture of early American classrooms, evoking the simplicity and functionality of everyday life in educational settings. As part of the Index of Design—a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression—this artwork exemplifies a national effort from 1935 ...
About the Artist
Annie B. Johnston
Annie B. Johnston was an American artist active in the late 1930s, recognized for her contributions to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal program that commissioned artists to create meticulous watercolor renderings of American folk and decorative arts objects. Working in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paper, Johnston brought technical precision and sen...