Pitcher
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 41 x 37.7 cm (16 1/8 x 14 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 10 3/8" High 5" Dia.(top) 5 9/16" 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
1943.8.5088
Art Historical Context
This vibrant watercolor rendering of a *Pitcher* by Giac Capelli, created around 1939, captures the elegant simplicity of an everyday American object from the Index of American Design. Measuring 41 x 37.7 cm, the work meticulously depicts a vessel standing 10 3/8 inches high with a 5-inch top diameter and 5 /16-inch base, its graceful proportions and functional form likely rooted in early American craftsmanship. As part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) employed artists like Capelli to...
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...