Cobalt Vase
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 28 cm (14 x 11 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10797
Art Historical Context
Dorothy Posten's *Cobalt Vase* (c. 1936) is a captivating watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper, measuring 35.5 x 28 cm. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s—this work meticulously documents an exquisite example of American decorative arts. Posten, a skilled artist in this ambitious initiative, captures the vase's deep cobalt blue glaze and elegant form with precision, highlighting its subtle textures and luminous highlights through layered techniques. The Index of American Design, active from 1935 to 1942, employed over ...
About the Artist
Dorothy Posten
Dorothy Posten was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Launched in 1935, this ambitious endeavor employed artists across the United States to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and decorative traditions through detailed render...