Sideboard (Hepplewhite)
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 22.9 x 29.2 cm (9 x 11 1/2 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
1943.8.5476
Art Historical Context
Behold this exquisite rendering of a *Sideboard (Hepplewhite by John Dieterich, created between 1935 and 1942 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This ambitious WPA-era project employed artists across the U.S. to meticulously document everyday American decorative arts through vibrant, precise drawings, preserving cultural heritage amid the Great Depression. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, Dieterich's work captures the elegance of neoclassical furniture in the Hepplewhite style—named after English designer George Hepplewhite (d. 1786)—known for its graceful curves, inlaid moti...
About the Artist
John Dieterich
John Dieterich is an artist for whom biographical documentation is not well established in major art-historical reference sources. No birth or death dates have been confirmed, and his nationality and training are not recorded in available records. His representation in museum collections with a substantial number of works suggests that he was a productive and recognized artist at some point in hi...