Spurs by Albert Geuppert

Spurs c. 1937

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drawing, watercolor

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drawing

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water colours

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charcoal drawing

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watercolor

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watercolour illustration

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watercolor

Dimensions: overall: 35.5 x 28 cm (14 x 11 in.)

Copyright: National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

Editor: So, here we have Albert Geuppert’s "Spurs," circa 1937, done with watercolor and charcoal. They seem so…ordinary. Just a representation of everyday objects, yet rendered with such care. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, precisely because of that seeming ordinariness. The spurs, rendered with such detail in watercolor and charcoal, become symbolic artifacts of labor, control, and the relationship between humans and animals. Consider the historical context of 1937. What was the West, and ideas of the West, representing? And who had access to that image? Editor: I see what you mean. It wasn't just about cowboys; it was a constructed ideal of the American West and its impact. It's interesting how something as simple as spurs can represent power dynamics and a romanticized version of a specific identity. What about gender, since spurs are usually worn by men? Curator: Exactly! By showcasing these tools, Geuppert might inadvertently be highlighting a specific kind of masculinity connected to the West, one of dominance and authority, gendered and raced in specific ways. How are we complicit, even in our admiration of technique and composition? How do we interpret that history, rather than dismiss it? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about, especially about our complicity in the image. The focus shifts from just admiring the art to really considering its implications. I see so much more in what I initially called ordinary now! Curator: That’s the power of engaging critically, of drawing those connections between art, history, and social realities. We have to think, to feel our way through all of it.

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