Jar

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate rendering of *Jar* by Jean Peszel, created around 1937/1938 as part of the Index of American Design. This watercolor and graphite depiction on paperboard (45.5 x 38.2 cm) captures modest yet elegant ceramic vessel—originally 12 inches high with a 6-inch mouth diameter—showcasing the refined craftsmanship of American folk pottery. Peszel's precise lines and subtle color washes bring the jar's smooth curves, subtle glazing, and functional form to life, inviting us to appreciate everyday objects as art. Produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) employed artists like Peszel to document regional crafts, tools, and decorative arts through over 18,000 watercolor renderings. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this work exemplifies the project's mission to preserve America's material culture, highlighting anonymous makers' ingenuity amid economic hardship. The medium's transparency allows Peszel's graphite underdrawings to peek through vibrant washes, emphasizing texture and light in a way that photographs couldn't. Today, it reminds visitors of our design heritage, bridging utilitarian beauty with national identity.

About the Artist

Jean Peszel · 1855–present

Jean Peszel was an American artist active around 1935, best known for her contributions to the Index of American Design, a landmark Depression-era initiative under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project. Working primarily on the New York City project, Peszel created meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday American folk art and decorative objects, helping to catalog and pr...