Harvester Jug

Art Historical Context

**Harvester Jug** *Yolande Delasser,. 1937* Watercolor, graphite, and gouache onboard Overall: 28.9 × 23 cm (11 ⅜ × 9 ¹⁄₁₆ in.) Index of American Design, National of Art Created around 1937, Yolande Delasser's *Harvester Jug* is a meticulous rendering from the Index of American Design, a WPA Federal Art Project during the Great Depression. This initiative employed artists to document America's folk art and design heritage through precise, colorful illustrations, preserving everyday objects that reflected the nation's cultural identity before they faded into obscurity. Delasser's work captures the humble yet evocative form of a traditional harvester jug—likely a utilitarian pottery vessel tied to rural labor and harvest traditions—elevating it to an icon of American craftsmanship. Delasser's skilled use of watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard brings the jug's textures, glazes, and subtle details to life with scientific accuracy and artistic flair. The mixed media allowed for vibrant hues and fine lines, blending realism with subtle interpretation to highlight the object's folk aesthetic. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece underscores the IAD's role in celebrating vernacular design, reminding visitors of the ingenuity embedded in everyday American life during a time of national recovery.

About the Artist

Yolande Delasser · 1855–present

Yolande Delasser was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Amid the Great Depression, this ambitious New Deal initiative commissioned artists to document America's rich heritage of folk art and utilitarian objects through precise watercolor ren...