Blue Glass
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.3 x 22.1 cm (11 9/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10446
Art Historical Context
"Blue Glass" is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Nicholas Amantea, created between 1935 and1942 as part of the Index of American. This ambitious Federal Art Project, launched under the Works Progress Administration (WPA during the Great Depression, employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday American objects—from folk art to decorative crafts—through precise, colorful illustrations. Amantea's work captures the subtle elegance of a blue glass vessel, highlighting its translucent hues and form with meticulous detail on paperboard measuring 29.3 x 22.1 cm. The medium ...
About the Artist
Nicholas Amantea
Nicholas Amantea (1900–1978) was an American artist born on July 13, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His early life and artistic training are not well documented, but by the mid-1930s, he had established himself in New York City, where he contributed significantly to federal art initiatives during the Great Depression. From March 13, 1936, to July 15, 1942, Amantea worked for the Works Progress...