Wooden Chair
probably 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
sheet: 35.8 × 28.1 cm (14 1/8 × 11 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 32"high; seat 18 1/4" wide.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4450
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Wooden Chair*, a 1938 rendering by artist Clyde L. Cheney, captured in watercolor, colored pencil, and on paperboard (35.8 × 28.1 cm). This is a gem from the Index of American Design (IAD), a ambitious Art Project launched in 5 under the Works Progress (WPA) during Great Depression. The I employed hundreds of artists across U.S. to document American folk art and crafts precise, colorful illustrations, cultural heritage at risk of being lost. ey's drawing vividly recreates simple yet elegant wooden chair—originally 32 inches high with an 18¼-inch-wide seat—highlighting its sturdy f...
About the Artist
Clyde L. Cheney
Clyde L. Cheney is an artist about whom little is currently known. No dates of birth or death have been established, and his nationality and artistic training are not documented in surviving historical records. With nearly fifty works attributed to him in institutional collections, Cheney's output points to an active career. The middle initial suggests a deliberate professional identity, but corr...