Jug
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.8 x 22.8 cm (11 5/16 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 16" High 6 7/8" Dia.(base)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5124
Art Historical Context
In the 1930s, as part of the Federal Art Project under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New, the Index of American Design commissioned artists to create meticulous renderings of everyday American objects, celebrating the nation's folk art and craftsmanship. Nicholas Amantea's *Jug* (c. 1936) is a prime example from this ambitious initiative, which produced over 18,000 works to document regional designs before they faded from view. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, piece captures a humble ceramic jug—standing 16 inches high with a 6⅞-inch base diameter—likely a product of early American p...
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...