Election Torch
1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 54.8 x 44.2 cm (21 9/16 x 17 3/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 71" long; 4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15311
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Election Torch*, a vibrant 1937 rendering by artist Ivar Julius, part of the esteemed Index of American Design at the National Gallery of Art Crafted in watercolor, graphite, andache on paper (measuring 54.8 x 44.2 cm), this detailed study captures a towering original object—71 inches long and 4 inches wide—that the spirited pageantry of American political life. Julius's precise technique highlights the torch's form, textures, and patriotic motifs, transforming a functional artifact into a work of art. Created under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project during th...