Grotesque Jug
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 22.9 x 29.1 cm (9 x 11 7/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 7" High 4 3/4" Dia(base)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7395
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Grotesque Jug*, captivating 1936 rendering by Chicago artist Frank Fumagalli part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This mixed work—watercolor, graphite, and pencil on paperboard—measures 22.9 x 29.1 cm and meticulously documents a diminutive folk ceramic jug, originally 7 inches high with a 4 3/4-inch base diameter. Fumagalli's precise depiction highlights the jug's whimsical yet eerie form, likely inspired by 19th-century American folk traditions where potters crafted exaggerated, monstrous faces to ward off evil or simply amuse. Created under the Works Progress Administrat...
About the Artist
Frank Fumagalli
Frank Fumagalli (c. 1895–1958) was an Italian-born American artist whose precise watercolor renderings captured the essence of everyday American folk art objects during the mid-20th century. Little is known about his early life and training, as biographical details remain scarce beyond his immigration from Italy and establishment in the United States. Active primarily in New York, Fumagalli gained...