Stoneware Churn
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 23 cm (11 1/16 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 15" High 8 1/2" Dia.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5021
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Stoneware Churn*, meticulous 1937 rendering by artist B. Johnston, part of the esteemed Index of American Design (AD) at the National Gallery of Art This watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, pen-and-ink depiction on paper (28.1 x 23 cm) captures humble yet essential 19th-century American folk object: a stoneware butter churn standing 15 inches high and8½ inches in diameter. Created during the Great Depression as a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration, the IAD commissioned artists like Johnston to document everyday American craftsmanship, preserving cultural ...
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...