Jar

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, safeguarding cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Capelli's technique shines in the layered media: graphite outlines precise contours and textures, watercolor infuses vibrant hues, and colored pencil adds fine details, evoking the jar's glossy surface and subtle sheen. This hybrid approach ensured hyper-realistic fidelity, making the drawing both a study and a standalone artwork that bridges documentation and aesthetics. Today, *Jar* exemplifies how the Index elevated utilitarian designs to icons of national identity, celebrating regional artistry from pottery traditions. Visitors will appreciate its role in rediscovering America's vernacular beauty, a testament to resilience and creativity in turbulent times.

About the Artist

Giacinto Capelli · 1855–present

**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...