Stoneware Jar
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, colored pencil, graphite and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.9 x 22.8 cm (11 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 14" High 7" Dia.
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5032
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 rend...
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...