Bowl

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate rendering *Bowl* by John Tarantino, created around 1936 as part of the Index of American Design. This, graphite, and gou work on paperboard (29.4 x 23 cm) captures the essence of everyday American craftsmanship, likely a humble yet elegant ceramic or wooden vessel from the nation's folk art tradition. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, it exemplifies the project's mission to celebrate and preserve the ingenuity of American decorative arts. Commissioned under the WPA's Federal Art Project during the Great Depression, the Index employed over 400 artists like Tarantino to produce thousands of meticulous studies of historical objects. Tarantino's precise graphite underdrawing, enriched with vibrant gouache and translucent watercolor, renders the bowl's form, texture, and subtle glazes with scientific accuracy and artistic flair. This hybrid technique allowed for both documentary fidelity and aesthetic appeal, bridging fine art and cultural archiving. Today, *Bowl* stands as a testament to America's diverse design heritage, from colonial pottery to regional folkwares. It invites visitors to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary, reminding us how such artifacts wove the fabric of daily life in early America. (198 words)

About the Artist

John Tarantino · 1855–present

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...