Whale Oil Lamp
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.2 x 22.7 cm (11 1/2 x 8 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 3" high; 4 3/4" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.12488
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate rendering of a *Whale Oil Lamp* by Richard Taylor, created around 1938 as part of the Index of American Design. Crafted in watercolor and graphite paperboard (29.2 x 22.7 cm), this artwork meticulously captures a modest original object—just 3 inches high and 4¾ inches wide—from early American life. Taylor's precise technique blends the fluidity of watercolor for rich tones with graphite's fine lines for intricate details, evoking the lamp's functional elegance. The Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (1935–1942), commissi...