Rider's Spur

Art Historical Context

This watercolor and graphite drawing by Fred Hassebrock, created around 1938, is a precise rendering of a rider's spur produced for the Index of American Design. This New Deal project, part of the Federal Art Project, employed artists to document American crafts and decorative objects through detailed illustrations, preserving their designs amid the Great Depression. The original spur, a compact piece just 3 inches wide and 5½ inches long, is captured here with careful attention to its form and details on a 9-by-11-inch sheet. Hassebrock used watercolor to convey color and texture alongside graphite for sharp definition, a technique typical of Index artists seeking both visual appeal and documentary accuracy. These works highlighted the artistry in everyday functional items like equestrian spurs, which served as practical tools for riders. As part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, the piece reflects how art documented and celebrated America's material heritage. Visitors can appreciate this illustration as both a historical record and a product of 1930s cultural efforts, offering a window into the intersection of craft, history, and artistic preservation.

About the Artist

Fred Hassebrock · 1903–1978

Fred Hassebrock is an artist for whom biographical documentation is very limited. No birth or death dates have been established, and his nationality and training are not recorded in major reference sources. His name does not appear prominently in standard art-historical surveys, and the specifics of his career — the schools he attended, the teachers who influenced him, the movements with which he...