Decanter

Art Historical Context

**Decanter**, a meticulous rendering by John Tarantino circa 1936, captures elegant form of a classic glass decanter through watercolor, graphite, and gou on paperboard (29.2 x 22.9 cm). Tarantino, an accomplished illustrator, skillfully employed these media to highlight the object's subtle curves, reflective surfaces, and ornate details, evoking the refined craftsmanship of American decorative arts from earlier centuries. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. During the Great Depression, over 200 artists created more than 15,000 watercolor renderings to document everyday American objects—folk art, furniture, ceramics, and glassware—preserving cultural heritage at risk of being lost. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it exemplifies how the Index celebrated utilitarian beauty as a vital thread in the nation's identity. Tarantino's precise graphite underdrawing, layered with translucent watercolors and opaque gouache, allowed for photorealistic accuracy while infusing artistic vitality. Such techniques not only served as archival records but also inspired appreciation for America's design legacy, bridging historical craft with modern audiences.

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...