Candle Holder

Art Historical Context

**Candle Holder** by Howard Lumbardc. 1937) is a captivating rendering from the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project that documented everyday American crafts during the Great Depression. Created watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard27.9 x 23 cm), this precise study captures a 25-inch-high candle holder, highlighting its form and subtle details. Lumbard's work exemplifies the project's goal: to celebrate and preserve the nation's folk art heritage amid economic hardship, blending artistic skill with historical documentation. The Index of American Design, active from 1935 to 1942, employed hundreds of artists like Lumbard to produce over 18,000 watercolor renderings of objects from quilts to furniture, now treasured at institutions like the National Gallery of Art. This piece reflects the era's appreciation for vernacular design—simple, functional items like candle holders that lit colonial homes and symbolized American ingenuity and craftsmanship. Lumbard's mixed-media technique shines here: graphite for fine outlines, pen and ink for crisp edges, and watercolor for lifelike texture and patina. It invites visitors to ponder how such humble objects embodied cultural identity, bridging utility and artistry in early American life. A testament to New Deal creativity, this artwork reminds us of design's enduring role in storytelling.

About the Artist

Howard Lumbard · 1855–present

Howard Lumbard was an American artist active around 1935 whose precise watercolor and graphite drawings form a notable part of the Index of American Design. His early life is not well documented, with no records of formal training, teachers, or artistic education coming to light. Instead, Lumbard is known through his contributions to this ambitious New Deal-era initiative, a Federal Art Project of...