Jar
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 50.4 x 37.9 cm (19 13/16 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
1943.8.7418
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate rendering *Jar* by Giacinto Capelli created around 1940 as part of the Index of American Design. This vibrant watercolor, graphite, and pencil work on paperboard (50.4 x 37.9 cm) now resides in the National Gallery of Art's collection. Produced under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression the Index was a monumental Federal Art Project that employed artists to meticulously document America's folk art, crafts, and decorative objects—preserving a vanishing cultural heritage through precise, colorful studies. Capelli's technique masterfully combine...
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...