Candle Box 1935 - 1942

Carl Strehlau made this watercolor and graphite rendering of a candle box. Strehlau was born in Germany and later worked for the Index of American Design, a New Deal program. The IAD sought to document American material culture during a time of economic crisis and social change. This image reflects a cultural moment when the United States was looking back to its historical roots, even as its identity was rapidly changing. The candle box is lovingly and carefully depicted, celebrating the craftsmanship of everyday objects. The flowers and stylized birds could be read as markers of domesticity and the feminine, yet these familiar forms are rendered in bold, dark hues. Consider how the artist and the subject of the image intersect in this work. It speaks to the ways that artists like Strehlau found meaning and purpose during times of great uncertainty.