Vase
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 36.6 x 28.9 cm (14 7/16 x 11 3/8 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.10885
Art Historical Context
**Vase** by John Dana (c. 1940) is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 36.6 x 28.9 cm. Created as part of the *Index of American Design*, work exemplifies the meticulous documentation of everyday American objects during the Great Depression era. The Index, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, employed artists like Dana to produce precise, colorful studies of folk art, crafts, and decorative designs, preserving the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Dana's technique masterfully combines the f...
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...