Vase

Art Historical Context

**Vase** *Nicholas Amantea, c. 1939* Watercolor, colored pencil, graphite on paperboard, 35.7 × 28.2 cm (14 1/16 × 11 1/8 in.) *Index of American Design, National Gallery of Art* Created by artist Nicholas Amantea around 1939, this rendering depicts a modest yet elegantly proportioned vase, standing 5½ inches high with a 4-inch top diameter tapering to 3⅜ inches at the base. delicate watercolor washes, precise colored pencil shading, and fine graphite lines on paperboard, Amantea captures the vase's subtle curves and surface textures, transforming a humble American craft object into a vibrant study of form and craftsmanship. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artists during the Great Depression to document the nation's folk and decorative arts. By rendering everyday objects like this vase with museum-quality detail, the Index preserved vanishing traditions of American design, celebrating regional makers and materials. Amantea's multifaceted technique—blending fluid color with meticulous drawing—highlights the vase's likely handmade origins, evoking the ingenuity of pre-industrial artisans. Today, it reminds us how such projects not only provided relief but also fostered national pride in everyday beauty, inviting us to appreciate the artistry in the ordinary.

About the Artist

Nicholas Amantea · 1900–1978

Nicholas Amantea (1900–1978) was an American artist born on July 13, 1900, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His early life and artistic training are not well documented, but by the mid-1930s, he had established himself in New York City, where he contributed significantly to federal art initiatives during the Great Depression. From March 13, 1936, to July 15, 1942, Amantea worked for the Works Progress...