Trunk
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.9 x 22.9 cm (11 3/4 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 28" long; 18" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15900
Art Historical Context
**Trunk** by Ferdinand Cartier (c. 1936) captures the charm of an everyday American artifact—a sturdy trunk measuring 28 inches long and 18 inches high— meticulous watercolor, graphite, and gou on paperboard (29.9 x 22.9 cm). Part of the National Gallery of's collection, this piece belongs to the Index of Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the Great Depression era (1935–1942)., one of over 200 artists involved, rendered folk art objects with photographic precision to preserve vanishing examples of American craftsmanship. The Index celebrated utilitarian designs like this trunk, l...
About the Artist
Ferdinand Cartier
Ferdinand Cartier is an artist whose historical record remains limited. No confirmed birth or death dates have been established, and his national origin and training background are not documented in surviving sources, making it difficult to place him within any specific artistic tradition or school. Cartier's presence in museum collections, with close to fifty works attributed to him, points to a...