Electric Generator
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 40.7 cm (12 x 16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.9843
Art Historical Context
**Electric Generator** by Carl Buergern, created around 1940, is a watercolor, graphite, and pencil rendering on paperboard, measuring12 x 16 inches. This precise depiction captures the intricate of an early 20th-century electric generator showcasing Buergerniss's in blending technical accuracy with flair. The mixed media allowed for rich color gradients in the machine's metallic surfaces and subtle graphite shading to highlight mechanical components, evoking the era's fascination with industrial innovation. As part of the *Index of American Design*—a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project fr...
About the Artist
Carl Buergerniss
**Carl Buergerniss** (1877–1956) was an American artist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who later made his home in Island Heights, New Jersey. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a leading institution that shaped many American artists of his era, and exhibited there regularly from 1901 to 1930. While specific teachers are not documented in available sources, his training a...