Pot
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 36.8 x 28.7 cm (14 1/2 x 11 5/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 7/16 High 5 3/4" x 6 1/2" Dia(top) 4 7/16 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
1943.8.6316
Art Historical Context
This exquisite rendering of a simple yet elegant *Pot*, created by artist Nicholas Amantea 1938, is a gem from the Index of American Design. Part of a groundbreaking Works Progress Administration (WPA project during the Great Depression, the Index commissioned artists across America to produce vibrant, precise illustrations of everyday folk art and crafts. Amantea's watercolor, colored pencil, and graphite on paperboard (36.8 x 28.7 cm) captures the pot's graceful form—a bulbous vessel standing 6 7/16 inches high, with a 6 1/2-inch top diameter tapering to a 4 7/16-inch base—likely a humble ce...
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...