Jar
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.5 x 38 cm (17 15/16 x 14 15/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7406
Art Historical Context
Nestled within the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design collection, Giacinto Capelli's *Jar* (c. 1941) captures the essence of American craftsmanship through meticulous artistry. Created as part of the Federal Art Project—a Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiative during the Great Depression—this watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil rendering on paperboard (45.5 x 38 cm) documents a humble yet elegant jar, likely a folk or decorative ceramic vessel. The Index, spanning 1935 to 1942, employed hundreds of artists like Capelli to preserve everyday American objects, safegua...
About the Artist
Giacinto Capelli
**Giacinto Capelli** (American, active c. 1935–1942) contributed significantly to the documentation of American material culture through his precise watercolor renderings as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Little is known about his early life or formal training, which remains sparsely documented, though his expertise in wat...