Crock c. 1937

Yolande Delasser made this watercolor and graphite drawing titled 'Crock', sometime between 1855 and 1995. The detailed rendering of a stoneware crock with a maker's mark referencing 1806 and Amboy, New Jersey invites us to consider the role of craft in American history. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of early American industry and trade. The emphasis on the handmade object, something as simple as a crock, might reflect broader shifts in American attitudes towards production. Was Delasser self-consciously conservative, looking back to an imagined pre-industrial golden age? Or was she progressive in her politics, critiquing the institutions of modern art by celebrating the work of ordinary people? To understand this drawing better, we could consult archives of design history and material culture, like trade catalogs, museum collections, and local historical societies. Through this research, we can begin to understand how the meaning of this image is contingent on its cultural context.