Crock
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 45.3 x 37.8 cm (17 13/16 x 14 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 18" High 8 1/2" x 9 3/4"Avg.Dia.(top) 10 1/4" Dia.(bot)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5159
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 p...
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...