Shaker Sewing Desk
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 47.3 x 35.5 cm (18 5/8 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: 38" high; 26" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.13628
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Shaker Sewing Desk*, meticulously rendered watercolor and graphite drawing by John Davis, created between 1935 and1942 as part of Index of American Design. This captures a quintessential piece of Shaker furniture—an elegant, functional sewing desk originally measuring 38 inches high 26 inches wide. The Shakers, a religious community flourishing in the 19th century, were renowned for their minimalist craftsmanship, embodying principles of simplicity, utility, and spiritual perfection in everyday objects. Davis's rendering belongs to the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art P...