Jar was created by John Tarantino in c. 1941.

When was "Jar" created?

This artwork was created c. 1941.

Is "Jar" in the public domain?

Yes, Jar is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Jar

Q: What medium is "Jar"?

Jar is watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard.

John Tarantino

c. 1941

Medium

watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard

Dimensions

overall: 33.4 x 25.6 cm (13 1/8 x 10 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 7 1/2" High 5 1/8" Dia.(top and bottom)

Classification

Index of American Design

Department

CG-W

Museum

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Credit

Index of American Design

Accession Number

1943.8.5148

Art Historical Context

John Tarantino's *Jar* (c. 1) is a meticulous rendering of an everyday American ceramic vessel, captured in watercolor, colored pencil, and on paperboard. Measuring 33.4 x 25.6 cm, this artwork faithfully reproduces the jar's modest dimensions—7½ inches high with a 5⅛-inch diameter at top and bottom—highlighting its simple, functional form likely rooted in folk pottery traditions. Tarantino's precise technique brings out subtle textures and earthy tones, transforming an ordinary object into a celebration of vernacular design. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a WPA Federa...

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...

Jar

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