Horse
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 40.8 x 53.4 cm (16 1/16 x 21 in.) Original IAD Object: 10" long; 4 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15592
Art Historical Context
In the heart of the Great Depression, the Index of American Design—a Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942—commissioned artists like Einar Heiberg create meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday American folk art. "Horse," dated 1935/1942, exemplifies this effort. Heiberg, a skilled Norwegian-American illustrator, captured a charming carved wooden horse object (originally 10 inches long and 4½ inches wide using watercolor and graphite on paper, measuring 40.8 53.4 cm. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this piece belongs to the CG-W department and celebrate...
About the Artist
Einar Heiberg
Einar Heiberg (1893–1964) was an American artist best known for his meticulous documentation of everyday American folk art objects during the Great Depression era. Active primarily in the late 1930s, Heiberg contributed significantly to the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This initiative commissioned artists across the U...