Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–8

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

The White Horse

A work made of oil on canvas.

Image actions

  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1929

Artist:

Herman Menzel
American, 1904–1988

About this artwork

Chicago artist Herman Menzel drew inspiration from the everyday subjects around him, from city dwellers and industrial scenes to fishermen and rural landscapes. In The White Horse, he employed undulating forms and flat areas of color, with a stylized tree silhouetted against an expansive red mountain and a churning sky of blue and violet. Here, the artist combined his observations of a horse from an Illinois farm with those of a visit in 1929 to the mountainous terrain of Woodstock, New York. Menzel’s resulting composition is expressive and moody, quiet and romantic.

Status

On View, Gallery 178

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Herman Menzel

Title

The White Horse

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1929

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

47.6 × 53.3 cm (18 × 21 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Willa Hamm Menzel and Sewall H. Menzel

Reference Number

1992.648

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms