Candle and Rush Light Holder
c. 1936
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.4 x 22.7 cm (11 9/16 x 8 15/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12156
Art Historical Context
In the humble glow of colonial hearths, the *Candle and Rush Light Holder* (c. 1936) by Jack Staloff captures a quintessential piece of early American domestic life. This precise graphite drawing, measuring 29.4 x 22.7 cm, depicts a simple yet ingenious device for holding candles and rush lights—inexpensive illuminants made by dipping rushes in tallow, a staple for pre-industrial households before widespread kerosene lamps or electricity. Created as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, Staloff's ...
About the Artist
Jack Staloff
Jack Staloff was an American artist and designer active during the 1930s and 1940s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a New Deal-era Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create precise watercolor and graphite renderings of everyday American crafts, tools, and dec...