Jar 1936

Editor: This is Eugene Shellady's "Jar," created in 1936, and rendered in watercolor and colored pencil. It feels oddly formal for something so domestic. What do you make of it? Curator: The political iconography is hard to ignore, isn't it? In the 1930s, craft took on new cultural significance. Think about the Federal Art Project – part of the New Deal – which promoted distinctly American art forms, celebrating regional crafts and traditions, and even putting artists to work to create public artworks, especially murals. Editor: So, the jar isn’t just a jar? Curator: Not at all. Notice the eagle, and what seems to be an inscription. Consider the Depression era, and a resurgence of nationalist sentiments. The humble ceramic object is being elevated, imbued with a sense of national identity. Does this drawing, therefore, act as documentation? As a tribute? Or perhaps a critique? Editor: It’s interesting to think of this being created alongside those murals. It’s almost as if Shellady is making a miniature, portable monument to national ideals. The eagle motif makes sense now. Curator: Precisely! It's a quiet assertion of cultural values through everyday objects. One also has to think about exhibition practices. Was this created for a specific showcase, or competition? Editor: I see it now! The jar as a silent statement within a larger social narrative. Thanks for broadening my perspective! Curator: It's a privilege. There’s always so much to consider, thinking through the art and social histories embedded within one little “Jar.”