Saddle Stirrup
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 35.5 x 28 cm (14 x 11 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 3/8" wide; 7" high; 5 1/2" thick
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14892
Art Historical Context
In the late 1930s, amid the Great Depression, artist Manuel G. Runyan to the Index of American Design, a Progress Administration (WPA project that commissioned hundreds of artists to create precise watercolor renderings of everyday American objects. This detailed depiction of a *Saddle Stirrup dated around 1938, captures the functional beauty of a traditional equestrian accessory. Rendered in watercolor and graphite on paper35.5 x 28 cm), Runyan's work meticulously documents an original object measuring 6 3/8 inches wide, 7 inches high, and 5 1/2 inches thick, highlighting its sturdy form and ...
About the Artist
Manuel G. Runyan
Manuel G. Runyan is an artist whose dates and nationality remain undocumented in major reference sources. The historical record concerning his training, biography, and artistic affiliations is sparse, and little has been established about his life or the context in which he worked. Works attributed to Runyan suggest a practice engaged with printmaking or works on paper, though the full scope and ...