Andiron

Art Historical Context

**Andiron** Lazar Rubinstein, c 1939 Graphite on paperboard, 35.6 × 25.9 cm Index of American Design, National Gallery of Art This meticulous graphite drawing by Lazar Rubinstein captures an andiron—a sturdy metal stand used to support burning logs in colonial fireplaces—highlighting everyday American craftsmanship from the nation's early history. Created around 1939, the work exemplifies the precision of renderings in the Index of American Design a landmark WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artists during the Great Depression to document folk art and decorative object...