Tray Table

Art Historical Context

**Tray Table**, a vibrant rendering by artist Robert Cole around 1940, captures the simplicity of an American tray table in watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard (40.6 x 45.4 cm). This meticulous depiction showcases the table's original dimensions—29 inches high a 21 x 17-inch top—highlighting its functional beauty as a versatile piece for serving or display, likely from the early 20th century. Created as part of the *Index of American Design*IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942, Cole's work documents everyday American craftsmanship. The IAD employed over 400 artists to produce more than 15,000 watercolor renderings of folk art, furniture, and decorative objects, preserving cultural heritage amid the Great Depression. Stored at the National Gallery of Art, these pieces celebrate regional design traditions without romanticizing them. Cole's technique blends fluid watercolor for rich tones, precise colored pencil for details, and graphite for sharp outlines, creating a faithful yet artistic record. This tray table exemplifies mid-century American vernacular design—practical, unpretentious, and enduring—inviting us to appreciate the artistry in ordinary objects that shaped daily life.