Child's Hobby Horse
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 26 x 27.4 cm (10 1/4 x 10 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 46 1/2" long; 40" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15626
Art Historical Context
In the whimsical watercolor *Child's Hobby Horse* (c. 1937), artist Theodore Pfitzer captures the joyful simplicity of an early American folk toy. Rendered in watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper26 x 27.4 cm), this detailed study depicts a wooden hobby horse measuring 46½ inches long and 40 inches high in its original form. Pfitzer's precise lines and vibrant hues bring to life the carved horse head on a sturdy stick, evoking childhood play from America's craft traditions. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (...