Candle Sconce
c. 1941
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 49.5 x 28 cm (19 1/2 x 11 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17028
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Candle Sconce*, a meticulous graphite drawing by Amelia Tu, created around 1941. Measuring 49.5 x 28 cm, this captures the elegant simplicity of an American lighting fixture—a wall-mounted sconce designed to hold candles—rendered with precise lines and subtle shading on paperboard. Tuccio depiction highlights the object's graceful curves and functional beauty, evoking the craftsmanship of early American decorative arts. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) that employed artists during the Great Depression to docume...
About the Artist
Amelia Tuccio
Amelia Tuccio (1904–1977) was an American artist born in Italy on April 1, 1904. Little is known about her early life or formal training, which remains undocumented in available sources. She emerged as a skilled draftsman in the United States during the 1930s, contributing significantly to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambit...