Mission Bench
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 35.6 cm (11 1/16 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: 1/10"=1"
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7507
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Mission Bench*, a meticulous rendering by artist Edward Jewett, created around 1936 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This vibrant watercolor, colored pencil, and ink, and graphite drawing on paper (28.1 x 35.6 cm) captures the sturdy elegance of a classic Mission-style bench, scaled at 1/10"=1' for precise documentation. Housed in the National Gallery of's CG-W Department, it exemplifies the IAD's mission to celebrate everyday American craftsmanship. The I, a Federal Art Project the Works Progress Administration (1935–1942), employed artists during the Great Depressi...
About the Artist
Edward Jewett
Edward Taylor Jewett (1868–1955) was an American artist whose career bridged traditional academic painting and the documentation of vernacular American crafts. Born on March 28, 1868, in New York, Jewett pursued formal training in the late nineteenth century, studying at the Académie Julian in Paris and later under the portraitist J. Carroll Beckwith in New York City. This rigorous education equip...