Ice Skate

Art Historical Context

Margaret Stottlemeyer's *Ice Skate* (c. 1937) is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering on paper, measuring 25.3 x 33.9 cm (9 15/16 x 13 3/8 in.). Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), this work meticulously documents a traditional American ice skate, originally 13 12 inches long. TheAD, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA during the Great Depression (1935–1942), employed artists to produce precise, colorful illustrations of everyday objects reflecting America's folk art and design heritage—from colonial tools to 19th-century crafts. Stottlemeyer's technique exemplifies the IAD's emphasis on accuracy and artistry: delicate graphite lines capture the skate's intricate metalwork, leather straps, and wooden blade, while translucent watercolors bring vibrancy to its patina and textures. Slightly larger than life-size, the rendering invites viewers to appreciate the object's craftsmanship, evoking winter pastimes like pond skating that shaped American leisure and ingenuity. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, *Ice Skate* highlights how WPA initiatives preserved cultural artifacts amid economic hardship, celebrating the beauty in utilitarian design. It's a window into early American innovation, where functionality met folk aesthetics.

About the Artist

Margaret Stottlemeyer · 1859–1948

Margaret Stottlemeyer is an artist whose biographical details — including her dates, nationality, and training — have not been fully established in the scholarly literature. Her name appears in museum records, suggesting that her work entered institutional collections, but the circumstances of her life and career remain poorly documented. The precise nature of her practice and the media she favor...