Model of a Side-Wheeler
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 39 x 48.8 cm (15 3/8 x 19 3/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.7803
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Model of a Side-W* by William Pollman, a 1935/1942 watercolor, gouache, and graphite rendering on paperboard, measuring 39 x 48.8 cm. This precise depiction captures the elegant form of a classic American steamboat model, with its distinctive side-mounted paddle wheels evoking the golden age of river travel on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in the 19th century. Pollman's work immortalizes a symbol of industrial ingenuity and frontier expansion, blending mechanical detail with artistic finesse. Created as part of the Index of American Design—a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from...