Bandbox
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 22.1 cm (11 1/16 x 8 11/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 19 3/4" deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8423
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of American folk art with *Bandbox*, a meticulous rendering by John Tarantino created around 1937. This watercolor, gouache, and work on paperboard (28.1 x 22.1 cm) captures intricate details of a traditionalbox—a shallow, cylindrical container originally used for storing collars, hats, or sheet music. Popular in 19th-century America, these boxes often adorned with colorful lithographic paper featuring pastoral scenes, patriotic motifs, or whimsical designs, reflecting everyday creativity and cultural pride. Tarantino's is part of the *Index of American Design*, a ...
About the Artist
John Tarantino
John Tarantino was an American artist active from around 1935 to 1953, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create precise renderings of everyday folk art objects, preserving the nation's vernacular design heritage a...