Vase

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 fluidity of watercolor to evoke the vase's subtle hues and glossy surfaces with graphite's sharp lines for intricate details like contours and patterns. These renderings were not mere sketches but scholarly records, often to scale, intended for educational and artistic reference. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece highlights the WPA's role in valuing utilitarian beauty—from pottery to quilts—as vital expressions of American identity. Today, it invites visitors to appreciate how ordinary objects embody history, bridging craft traditions and fine art in a time of national reinvention.

About the Artist

John Dana · 1855–present

**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...