Crock
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 23.5 x 31.3 cm (9 1/4 x 12 5/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 4 3/8" High 5 7/8" Dia.(top) 5 1/2"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
1943.8.5164
Art Historical Context
**Crock**, a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering by artist John Tarantino around 1940, captures the humble elegance of a traditional American earthenware crock. Measuring 23.5 x 31.3 cm, this work depicts a simple, bulbous storage vessel—originally about 11 cm tall with a slightly flared top—likely used in rural households for preserving foods like butter, pickles, or grains. Tarantino's precise depiction highlights the crock's practical form, with subtle glazes and textures evoking everyday American craftsmanship from the 18th or 19th century. Created as part of the Index of America...
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...