Pottery Flat Bowl

Art Historical Context

**Pottery Flat Bowl**, a vibrant watercolor rendering by Annie B. Johnston from around 1938, captures simple elegance of an American folk pottery vessel. Measuring 3½ inches high and 15 inches in diameter, the original flat bowl—likely a utilitarian piece from early American craftsmanship—is depicted with meticulous detail on paperboard using watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen ink. Johnston's layered techniques bring out the bowl's earthy glazes and subtle contours, transforming a humble object into a study of texture and form. This artwork is part of 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 art and design heritage. Over 18,000 renderings like this one preserved everyday objects—pottery, quilts, furniture—that reflected regional traditions and cultural identity, ensuring their legacy amid rapid modernization. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art, Johnston's piece highlights the Index's dual role as historical record and artistic achievement. It invites us to appreciate the anonymous potters whose work embodied American ingenuity, reminding visitors of the beauty in functional design. (198 words)

About the Artist

Annie B. Johnston

Annie B. Johnston was an American artist active in the late 1930s, recognized for her contributions to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal program that commissioned artists to create meticulous watercolor renderings of American folk and decorative arts objects. Working in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, and pen and ink on paper, Johnston brought technical precision and sen...