Jug

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of American folk art with *Jug*, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Yolande Delasser, created around 1940. Measuring 29.7 x 23.1 cm, this delicate work on paperboard captures the humble elegance of a 7 3/4-inch-high earthenware jug, transforming an everyday object into a testament to craftsmanship. As part of the Index of American Design—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s—Delasser's piece documents the rich tradition of American decorative arts during the Great Depression. Hundreds of artists like her meticulously rendered folk objects, tools, and motifs to preserve the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship, blending artistic skill with historical preservation. Delasser's precise graphite outlines and luminous watercolors highlight the jug's simple curves and subtle glazes, evoking 18th- or 19th-century pottery traditions. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it invites us to appreciate how ordinary items embody America's inventive spirit and enduring aesthetic values.

About the Artist

Yolande Delasser · 1855–present

Yolande Delasser was an American artist active during the mid-1930s, best known for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Amid the Great Depression, this ambitious New Deal initiative commissioned artists to document America's rich heritage of folk art and utilitarian objects through precise watercolor ren...