Spark Lamp
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.8 x 22.8 cm (11 5/16 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 3 7/8" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12540
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Spark Lamp*, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by John Tarantino, created around 1936 as part of the Index of Design (IAD). This delicate depiction, measuring 28.8 x 22.8 cm (11 5/16 x 9 in.), captures a petite 3 7/8-inch-high American artifact—a testament to everyday ingenuity in lighting design. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W, it exemplifies the IAD's mission to document the nation's rich decorative arts heritage. The IAD, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression (1935–1942), employed over 400 artists l...
About the Artist
John Tarantino
John Tarantino was an American artist active from around 1935 to 1953, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create precise renderings of everyday folk art objects, preserving the nation's vernacular design heritage a...