Sugar Bowl
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29 x 22.6 cm (11 7/16 x 8 7/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10679
Art Historical Context
**Sugar Bowl**, a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering by Dana circa 1937, captures charm of an everyday American household object as part of the *Index of American Design*. during the Great Depression, this work belongs to a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artists to document the nation's rich folk and decorative arts heritage. Through meticulous detail, Dana preserved the sugar bowl's form, texture, and subtle ornamentation, turning a simple utilitarian item into a testament to American craftsmanship. The medium—watercolor for vibrant color washes and ...
About the Artist
John Dana
**John Dana** (American, active c. 1935) was a meticulous draftsman whose artistic legacy is inextricably linked to the Index of American Design, a landmark Works Progress Administration (WPA) project launched during the Great Depression to catalog and celebrate the nation's folk art and craftsmanship. Operating primarily out of the New York City project, Dana produced hundreds of precise renderin...