Crockery Pitcher c. 1938

Curator: Before us, we have "Crockery Pitcher", rendered around 1938 by Ernest A. Towers, Jr., through watercolor, painting, and drawing techniques. Editor: It gives off a sort of nostalgic, even folksy, feeling. The monochromatic browns evoke warmth and familiarity, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. Representations such as these were circulated by the Federal Arts Project division of the Works Progress Administration. This division sought to uplift American morale during the Great Depression by commissioning art that celebrated American crafts, industry, and regional culture. Editor: Fascinating! So this wasn’t just a picture of a pitcher, but a subtle emblem of national pride? Curator: Precisely. What reads to us as mundane was politically loaded with symbolism in its time, yes. Let’s zoom in—note the detail applied to the molded figures. Do you see in that figure there, the clear imagery of a frontiersman on the surface? What do you make of that detail? Editor: Absolutely! The hunter, his rifle, the dogs... all standard visual shorthand for an idea of rustic, independent American masculinity. It is a powerful reminder of colonial imagery, recontextualized by way of design, like some sort of phantom echo. And this is placed onto an everyday object, right there at the breakfast table. Curator: The piece definitely speaks to how the government during the late 30's consciously manufactured art as propaganda to encourage stability, optimism, and hope. Editor: Very well, it’s clear there is much more than meets the eye with this rendering! A humble, everyday object that is charged with powerful national symbolism! Curator: Exactly. And the fact that this piece persists in public collections such as ours testifies to its cultural significance and the ongoing interest in this chapter of American art and social history.