Pitcher c. 1938

Alfred Walbeck’s watercolor painting depicts a glass pitcher adorned with hand-painted flowers. Walbeck was a part of the Index of American Design, a project of the Works Progress Administration, which was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. During the Great Depression, The Index employed artists to document American decorative and folk arts. It not only provided work for artists but also aimed to preserve and celebrate the nation's cultural heritage. The choice to document a simple, everyday object like a pitcher, elevates it, suggesting the value in the artistry found in common, domestic items. The hand-painted flowers speak to a tradition of women's work and artistic expression often overlooked in mainstream art history. By preserving this image, The Index acknowledged the importance of these contributions to American visual culture, and reminds us to look closely at the beauty in the mundane.