Wheel Jack
1940
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.1 x 38.3 cm (11 1/16 x 15 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.11921
Art Historical Context
"Wheel Jack" by Or Skaren, created in 1940, captures the humble yet ingenious design of a traditional mechanical lifting device used for raising wagon wheels or early automobiles. Rendered in, graphite, and colored on paperboard (28.1 x 38.3 cm), this precise study highlights the sturdy iron components, wooden handle, and ratcheting mechanism that embody American practicality and craftsmanship from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Skaren's work is part of the Index of American Design, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942) during the Great Depression. This initiative employed ...