Crock

Art Historical Context

John Tarantino's *Crock* (c. 1938) is a meticulous rendering of a traditional American stoneware jar, captured through watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper. Measuring 45.3 x 37.8 cm, this detailed drawing faithfully reproduces the original object's form—18 inches high with an average diameter of 8½ x 9¾ inches at the top and 10¼ at the bottom. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration, Tarantino's work showcases the humble yet essential crock, a staple of early American households used for storing food, water, or preserves. Created during the Great Depression, the IAD (1935–1942) employed artists like Tarantino to document the nation's folk art and craftsmanship, preserving cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Tarantino's precise graphite underdrawing, layered with vibrant watercolors and colored pencil highlights, brings the pottery's subtle glazes, salt-fired textures, and utilitarian grace to life, emphasizing regional pottery traditions from the 19th century. This piece highlights the artistic and cultural significance of everyday objects, celebrating American ingenuity and the anonymous makers behind them. Displayed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it invites visitors to appreciate how such renderings bridge history and design, turning functional earthenware into enduring symbols of self-reliance.

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...