View of the Back of a Dwelling in Polling, Bavaria
Classification
architecture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter Shirlaw
Accession Number
1912-16-46
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Visitors to the Smithsonian American Art Museum are invited to explore *View of the Back of Dwelling in Polling Bavaria* (1876), a architectural study by Walter Shirlaw, an American artist born in Scotland (1838–1909). Shirlaw, known for his illustrative work and European influences, turned his gaze to the quaint vernacular architecture of rural Bavaria, rendering the humble rear facade of a local home with precise observation. Created during a period when American artists often traveled abroad for inspiration, this piece reflects the 19th-century fascination with regional building traditions ...