Vase

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate rendering of *Vase* by Janet Riza, created around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design. This vibrant work on paperboard employs watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, and gouache to meticulously capture the form and decoration of an everyday American object, transforming it into a celebration of national craftsmanship. Commissioned under the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design (1935–1942) employed over 400 artists to document thousands of folk art and decorative objects. Riza's contribution exemplifies this ambitious effort to preserve vanishing traditions—from quilts to furniture—through precise, colorful illustrations. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, these works not only recorded history but also boosted artists' careers amid economic hardship. Riza's masterful use of mixed media brings the vase's subtle contours and hues to life, highlighting techniques like fine ink lines for detail and gouache for opaque vibrancy. As a window into pre-war American aesthetics, it invites us to appreciate the artistry in the ordinary, reminding visitors of our rich design heritage.

About the Artist

Janet Riza · 1855–present

Janet Riza was an American artist active during the 1930s and early 1940s, renowned for her meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project initiative launched amid the Great Depression to document America's rich heritage of decorative arts and crafts. Little is known about her early life or formal training, which remains sparsely...