Sideboard
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.2 x 42.1 cm (11 7/8 x 16 9/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 37 1/2"high; 5'4"long; 25"deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5474
Art Historical Context
In the late 1930s, as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art, artist Michael France created vibrant rendering of a classic American sideboard for the *Index of American Design*. around 1938, the work measures 30.2 x 42.1 cm and employs a rich mix of watercolor, colored pencil, gou, and graphite on paperboard. These media allowed France to capture the wood's grain, intricate carvings, and warm finishes with remarkable precision and lifelike color, turning a functional furniture piece into a celebrated work of art. The *Index of American Design*, active from 1935 to 1942, commi...