Rocking Horse

Art Historical Context

"Rocking Horse," created around 1941 by artist Selma Sandler, is a captivating watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering on paperboard, measuring 43.8 x 57.6 cm. This detailed depiction captures a charming wooden rocking horse toy—originally 26¾ inches high and 43 inches long—oking the joyful innocence of American childhood. Sandler's precise lines and vibrant washes bring the folk art object's whimsical curves and sturdy form to life, highlighting its handcrafted charm. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, this work served a vital purpose during the Great Depression. Hundreds of artists like Sandler produced over 15,000 such renderings to document and preserve everyday American design, from folk crafts to industrial objects. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it reflects the era's commitment to celebrating national heritage through art. The mixed-media technique—combining ink's sharp outlines, graphite's subtle shading, and watercolor's soft color—allowed for faithful reproduction of textures like polished wood grain and playful painted details. Rocking horses, symbols of 19th- and early 20th-century play, underscore cultural values of ingenuity and domestic joy, making Sandler's piece a window into America's vernacular creativity.

About the Artist

Selma Sandler · 1917–2005

Selma Sandler (1917–2005) was an American artist whose meticulous watercolor renderings played a vital role in documenting the nation's folk art heritage during the Great Depression. Born on March 18, 1917, she contributed to the Index of American Design, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project under the Federal Art Project that ran from 1935 to 1942. This ambitious endeavor employed artists...