Silver Pitcher

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate precision of *Silver Pitcher*, a 1937 graphite drawing on paper by Amelia Tuccio measuring 28.9 22.9 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design, this work captures the elegant form of a classic American silver vessel, rendered with fine lines and subtle shading that highlight its reflective surfaces and graceful proportions. Created during the Great Depression as part of the Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (PA), the Index of American Design employed artists like Tuccio to document everyday objects of American craftsmanship—from colonial silver to folk art. These meticulous graphite renderings preserved cultural heritage at a time when economic hardship threatened traditional artisanship, serving as both artistic records and educational tools. Tuccio's technique exemplifies the Index's hallmark realism: cross-hatching and tonal gradients evoke the pitcher's luster without color, emphasizing design purity. This piece invites us to appreciate the ingenuity of American silversmiths, bridging utilitarian beauty with national identity in a virtual gallery stroll.

About the Artist

Amelia Tuccio · 1904–1977

Amelia Tuccio (1904–1977) was an American artist born in Italy on April 1, 1904. Little is known about her early life or formal training, which remains undocumented in available sources. She emerged as a skilled draftsman in the United States during the 1930s, contributing significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambit...