Snuffer

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate rendering *Snuffer* by Hesterany, created around 1936. This graphite and colored pencil drawing on paper, measuring 23.4 x 28.5 cm, captures elegant form of a traditional candle snuffer—an essential household tool from America's past used to trim and extinguish candle wicks. Duany's precise lines and subtle hues bring out the object's graceful curves, polished surfaces, and functional beauty, transforming a humble utilitarian item into a work of art. As part of the Index of American Design, this piece stems from a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, the Index commissioned artists like Duany to document everyday American folk art, crafts, and design objects through meticulous watercolor and pencil renderings. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it preserves cultural heritage at a time when such artifacts risked being lost to modernization. Duany's technique—combining graphite for fine details and colored pencil for realistic shading—highlights the snuffer's craftsmanship, likely from early American silversmithing traditions. This artwork invites us to appreciate the artistry in ordinary objects, reminding visitors of the ingenuity woven into our nation's history.

About the Artist

Hester Duany · 1891–1964

Hester Duany (1891–1964) was an American artist best known for her meticulous renderings of traditional American folk art objects as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. Working out of the New York City Project, Duany contributed dozens of watercolor and graphite drawings on paperboard that captured the intrica...