Horse Hobble
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paper
Dimensions
overall: 24.9 x 35.6 cm (9 13/16 x 14 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11529
Art Historical Context
Mary Hansen's *Horse Hobble* (c. 1939) captures the humble yet essential ingenuity of American folk craft in a delicate watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering on paper, measuring 24.9 x 35.6 cm. This precise depiction showcases a traditional horse hobble—a pair of connected leather straps and cuffs designed to restrain a horse's front legs, preventing it fromaying while allowing limited grazing. Hansen's meticulous draftsmanship highlights the object's functional beauty, from the hand-stitched seams to the weathered patina, transforming everyday utilitarian design into an artistic stu...