Flatiron Holder c. 1939

Holger Hansen created this graphite and colored pencil drawing of a "Flatiron Holder" at an unknown date. The image depicts a common household object, likely made of cast iron, and used to hold a hot clothes iron, complete with a portrait in relief. The inclusion of this portrait elevates a utilitarian object, imbuing it with layers of meaning. The figure in the relief is likely of George Washington. The artist could be commenting on the idealization of public figures. The lack of information about the date and place in which this drawing was made raises the question of Hansen's social context. An art historian might consider how Hansen's training in drawing might have been connected to the technical drawing skills needed for industrial production. Further research into Hansen's biography, and the history of design schools of the period, would clarify the cultural and institutional forces that shaped his artistic production.