Jar
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.6 x 35.3 cm (17 15/16 x 13 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 10" High 4 5/8" Diameter(top) 4 5/8" Diameter(base)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6236
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite rendering *Jar* by Nicholas Amantea, created around 1938 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This detailed, colored pencil, and work on paperboard (.6 x 353 cm) captures a yet elegant ceramic jar—originally 10 inches high with a consistent 4 5/8-inch diameter at top and base. Aman's precise depiction highlights the jar's graceful form and subtle surface details, evoking the everyday artistry of American craftsmanship. Amantea contributed to the IAD, a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. During the ...
About the Artist
Nicholas Amantea
Nicholas Amantea (1900–1978) was an American artist born on July 13, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His early life and artistic training are not well documented, but by the mid-1930s, he had established himself in New York City, where he contributed significantly to federal art initiatives during the Great Depression. From March 13, 1936, to July 15, 1942, Amantea worked for the Works Progress...