Chest-on-Chest
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 53.8 x 45.3 cm (21 3/16 x 17 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 78 1/2"high; 42 3/8"wide; 21 1/4"deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.4665
Art Historical Context
This vibrant rendering of a *Chest-on-Chest*, created by Lorenz Rothkranz around1938, captures the of an 18th-century American furniture. Measuring 53.8 x 45.3 cm, the work employs a meticulous mixed-media technique—watercolor for rich hues, colored pencil for fine textures, pen and ink for outlines, and graphite for shading—on paperboard. These methods allowed Rothkranz to recreate the original object's imposing scale (78 1/2 inches high, 42 3/8 inches wide, and 21 1/4 inches deep), highlighting its stacked drawers, ornate moldings, and Queen Anne-style proportions typical of colonial cabinet...