Water Crock

Art Historical Context

Vincent P. Rosel's *Water Crock* (c. 1938) is a meticulous rendering of a traditional American pottery vessel, captured through watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, and gouache on paperboard. Measuring 30.1 x 23.2 cm, this work documents an everyday object—12 inches high with a maximum diameter of 8 inches—likely used for storing water in households. Rosel's skilled use of mixed media brings out the crock's subtle glazes, curves, and textures, transforming a humble utilitarian item into a study of form and craftsmanship. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, this piece reflects New Deal efforts to employ artists during the Great Depression while preserving the nation's folk art heritage. The IAD commissioned over 15,000 watercolor renderings of American objects, from quilts to furniture, to celebrate regional craftsmanship and cultural identity. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Water Crock* highlights the anonymous potters who shaped early American life. Rosel's realistic technique—layering opaque gouache for highlights and delicate watercolors for shading—ensures precise replication, making it invaluable for scholars today. This artwork invites us to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary, bridging art, history, and everyday utility.

About the Artist

Vincent P. Rosel · 1855–present

Vincent P. Rosel is an artist about whom very limited documentation survives in the accessible art historical record. His dates, nationality, artistic training, and the scope of his career have not been definitively established in scholarly sources, placing him among the many figures whose names appear in collection records but whose biographies remain to be recovered. Where works attributed to R...