Wine Cooler
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 23 cm (12 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 26"long; lid 16"wide; 19"high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5888
Art Historical Context
Henry Meyers' *Wine Cooler* (c. 1936) is a vibrant rendering of an elegant American craft object, captured in watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard. Measuring 30.5 x 23 cm, this detailed drawing depicts a functional yet ornate wine cooler—originally 26 inches long, with a 16-inch-wide lid and 19 inches high—likely from the 18th or 19th century, showcasing the refined woodworking and decorative flair of early American design. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, t...
About the Artist
Henry Meyers
Henry Meyers was an American artist active during the 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a monumental Works Progress Administration (WPA) project that sought to document the nation's rich heritage of folk art, crafts, and decorative objects. Operating under the Federal Art Project, Meyers produced precise, watercolor and graphite renderings of ...