Decanter
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and goauche on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.2 x 22.9 cm (11 1/2 x 9 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11050
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 Gre...
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...