Iron Grease Lamp
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.6 x 22.9 cm (12 1/16 x 9 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12455
Art Historical Context
Visitors to the National Gallery of encounter *Iron Grease Lamp*, a captivating 1937 watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering by James Drake. Measuring just 30.6 x 22.9 cm, this delicate work on paperboard meticulously captures the humble form of a traditional American folk artifact—a simple iron lamp fueled by grease, evoking the ingenuity of early colonial life when such devices provided essential light before modern kerosene or electricity. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project from 1935–1942, Drake's piece exemplifies the pr...