Pottery Jug
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.6 x 23 cm (12 1/16 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 7" High 4 7/8" Dia(across top including mouthpiece)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7167
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate watercolor and graphite rendering of a *Pottery Jug* by Michael J. Miceli, created around 1937. This intimate study captures a humble earthenware vessel—standing 7 inches high with a 4⅞-inch diameter at the top, including its spout—in vivid detail on a 30.6 x 23 cm sheet of paperboard. Miceli's precise lines and subtle washes highlight the jug's simple, functional form, evoking American craftsmanship from an earlier era. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a ambitious New Deal program under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. Dur...