Stoneware Vase
c. 1936
Medium
gouache and colored pencil on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 35.8 cm (11 1/16 x 14 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/2" High
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.5079
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Stoneware Vase*, meticulously rendered depiction by artist Fred Weiss, created around 1936. This gouache and colored pencil drawing paper, measuring 28.1 x 35.8 cm, captures subtle textures and earthy tones of an original stoneware vessel standing just 6½ inches high. Stoneware, a sturdy ceramic fired at high temperatures to achieve its characteristic grayish-blue hue and durability, was a staple of American folk pottery traditions. This artwork is part of the prestigious Index of American Design (IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) initiative during the Great Depression. ...
About the Artist
Fred Weiss
Fred Weiss is an artist whose biographical record is not well established in standard reference works. No dates of birth or death have been confirmed, and his nationality and training are not documented in available sources. The commonality of the name makes confident identification challenging, and it is not possible to place this particular Fred Weiss within a specific artistic tradition, schoo...