
Fire Hose Reelc. 1938
Hans Mangelsdorf painted this in about 1938. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. More about this work
About this work
This is a painting of a vintage fire hose cart. It is intricately designed, featuring a four-wheeled cart meant to hold a coiled fire hose. The painting showcases the cart's wooden spoked wheels and hose mechanism, as well as ornate wrought iron designs and a brass figure. A bell is depicted above one wheel. The painting captures the craftsmanship of the era and is reminiscent of the style of Charles Demuth, known for his attention to detail and focus on industrial and architectural elements.
Description from the National Gallery of Art.
Hans Mangelsdorf painted this in about 1938. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
How it was made
- Watercolour
- Pigment in gum arabic, thinned with water and laid in transparent washes. Nothing white is painted: the light is the paper showing through.
- Graphite
- Pencil. Graphite has been used for drawing since the 1500s; in 1795 Nicolas-Jacques Conté mixed it with clay, so its hardness could be graded.
Hans Mangelsdorf
American
American folk and design
The everyday art of early America, recorded in watercolour by the Index of American Design.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1943.8.10254
- Credit
- Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Type
- Drawing
- Department
- Index of American Design
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site









