Bowl
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.4 x 23 cm (11 9/16 x 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10576
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...
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...