Stoneware Jar

Art Historical Context

Behold the elegant *Stoneware Jar*, meticulously rendered in 1937 by artist Annie. Johnston as part of the Index of American Design. This, colored pencil, graphite, and-and-ink drawing on paper (27.9 x 22.8 cm) captures humble yet striking folk art object: a 14-inch-high, 7-inch-diameter stoneware, emblematic of everyday American craftsmanship. Created under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, Index of American Design employed hundreds of artists to document the nation's rich heritage of decorative arts through precise, colorful renderings. Johnston's work preserves the jar's tactile qualities—its earthy tones, subtle glazes, and functional form—highlighting stoneware's role in early American pottery traditions, often produced by regional potters for practical household use. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece invites us to appreciate how ordinary objects embody cultural identity and ingenuity, bridging art and history in a single, vivid study.

About the Artist

Annie B. Johnston · 1867–1944

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...