Candelabrum
c. 1937
Medium
graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.1 x 22.2 cm (11 7/16 x 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17359
Art Historical Context
Mildred Ford's *Candelabrum* (c. 1937), a precise graphite drawing on paper measuring 29.1 x 22.2 cm, captures the elegance of an American decorative object as part of the Index of American Design. Created during the Great Depression, this work belongs to a monumental WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artists to document the nation's folk art, crafts, and design heritage through meticulous renderings. Ford, one of many skilled contributors, rendered everyday treasures like candelabra to preserve their cultural legacy amid economic hardship. Graphite on paper allowed for the fi...
About the Artist
Mildred Ford
Mildred Ford (1895–1988) was an American artist whose career is indelibly linked to the Index of American Design, a monumental Works Progress Administration (WPA) project launched in the 1930s to document the nation's rich heritage of decorative arts and folk objects. Through her precise renderings, Ford helped preserve intricate details of everyday artifacts—from toleware utensils to Pennsylvania...