Candle Holder
c. 1936
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.6 x 23.3 cm (12 1/16 x 9 3/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 14" high; 7 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12201
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Great Depression, artist Gerald Bernhardt created this meticulous graphite drawing of a *Candle Holder* around 1936 as part of the Index of Design (IAD), a groundbreaking Works Progress Administration (WPA project. Spanning 1935 to 1942, the IAD employed hundreds of artists across the U.S. document everyday American objects—from folk crafts to industrial designs—through precise, colorful renderings. Bernhardt, based in Washington, D.C., contributed numerous detailed studies of decorative arts, capturing the elegance of a 14-inch-high candle holder that measured 7½ inches wi...