FOLK ART CARICATURE OF ANDREW JACKSON AS A CANDLESTICK HOLDER

An engaging and rare example of early American political folk art, this iron candlestick presents a satirical likeness of Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), the controversial and immensely popular military hero who served as the seventh president of the United States. Standing approximately 10½ inches in height, the figure is rendered in a deliberately exaggerated and humorous style, reflecting the lively culture of political caricature that flourished in the United States during the early nineteenth century.

Jackson is portrayed with elongated, pendulous arms that hang loosely at his sides, emphasizing the lanky physicality often noted by contemporaries. His face, angular and sharp-featured, is animated by a slightly bemused expression that recalls the unmistakable physiognomy that made Jackson a frequent subject of satire in newspapers, broadsides, and popular prints. The figure’s narrow torso and exaggerated proportions lend the sculpture a whimsical, almost cartoonish presence, a hallmark of vernacular sculptural traditions.

He appears dressed in a stylized military uniform, the epaulettes slipping comically from his shoulders in a slightly disheveled manner, alluding to Jackson’s long association with the army and his reputation as a rough-hewn frontier commander. One elongated arm supports a large log or bundle over the shoulder, a visual motif evocative of Jackson’s popular image as the rugged “man of the people” and backwoods hero. The candlestick socket is incorporated into the figure’s midsection, subtly integrated into the sculptural composition.

The figure rises from a simple stained wooden block base measuring approximately 2¾ by 2¼ inches, reinforcing the object’s vernacular character.

Though its precise origin remains uncertain, objects such reflect the intensely personal relationship many Americans felt toward Jackson, whose presidency helped usher in a new era of populist politics.

[War of 1812, James Madison, Battle of Lake Erie, Battle of Plattsburgh, Fort McHenry, Battle of New Orleans, Treaty of Ghent, Andrew Jackson]