Finger Bowl

Art Historical Context

John Tarantino's *Finger Bowl* (193/1942) is a meticulous rendering from the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project initiative during the Great Depression. in 1935 and concluding around 1942, the Index employed artists across the U.S. to document everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative through precise, colorful drawings. Tarantino's work captures a delicate finger bowl—likely a glass or ceramic vessel used for rinsing fingers at the dining table—preserving its form and subtle ornamentation for posterity. Rendered in watercolor, gouache, and pen and ink on paper (30.5 x 22.1 cm), the piece showcases Tarantino's skillful blend of media: the fluid washes of watercolor and opaque gouache evoke the bowl's translucent sheen and highlights, while fine ink lines define intricate details with scientific accuracy. This technique not only highlighted the object's craftsmanship but also elevated humble household items to art-historical status. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Finger Bowl* reflects America's rich tradition of functional design, bridging utilitarian craft with aesthetic appreciation. It reminds visitors how such projects safeguarded cultural heritage amid economic hardship, offering a window into pre-industrial American ingenuity.

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...