Stoneware Flask in Barrel Form
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
sheet: 36.6 × 25.6 cm (14 7/16 × 10 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 2 1/2" wide; 4 1/2" high; 3 1/4" in diameter
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8813
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Stoneware Flask in Barrel*, a meticulous watercolor and graphite rendering by artist V.L. Vance, around 1940. This detailed depiction captures a humble yet charming American folk art object: a compact stoneware vessel measuring just 2½ inches wide, 4 inches high, and 3¼ inches in diameter. Its barrel-like shape evokes practicality and whimsy, likely designed for storing liquids like whiskey or medicine in everyday 19th-century life. Part of the prestigious Index of American Design (IAD), this work was produced under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA...