Pottery Flat Bowl
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard.
Dimensions
overall: 28.8 x 27.9 cm (11 5/16 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 3 1/2" High 15" Dia
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.6078
Art Historical Context
**Pottery Flat Bowl**, a vibrant watercolor rendering by Annie B. Johnston from around 1938, captures simple elegance of an American folk pottery vessel. Measuring 3½ inches high and 15 inches in diameter, the original flat bowl—likely a utilitarian piece from early American craftsmanship—is depicted with meticulous detail on paperboard using watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen ink. Johnston's layered techniques bring out the bowl's earthy glazes and subtle contours, transforming a humble object into a study of texture and form. This artwork is part of the *Index of American Design*...
About the Artist
Annie B. Johnston
Annie B. Johnston was an American artist active in the late 1930s, recognized for her contributions to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal program that commissioned artists to create meticulous watercolor renderings of American folk and decorative arts objects. Working in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paper, Johnston brought technical precision and sen...