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This is summer joy…
Up and down to seesaw,
Merry and at ease,
Careless as a brook is,
Idle as the breeze.
--Lucy Larcom, Swinging on a Birch-Tree, 1867
This is one of at least four drawings of the Dunckel homestead. Each of the Dunckel drawings includes a child on a swing in the breezeway at right. Historic artifacts document outdoor swing sets dating back to 1450 BCE in Ancient Greece, but swings were mostly used by wealthy adults until the mid-nineteenth century. Until that time, the idea of creative play for children was somewhat of a novelty. The industrial revolution, increased urbanization, and child labor laws began to emphasize the need for child-friendly spaces and childhood play free from responsibility.
Vogt occasionally produced drawings that represented an older version of a farm or residence. This “Old Homestead” could be one such drawing. Henry Dunckel (1826-1881) was deceased when this drawing was produced. Did his wife Eliza (Garlock) Dunckel (1828-1895) or one of their children as Vogt to create and title this drawing?
Exhibition History"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
Artist
Fritz G. Vogt
(c. 1841 - 1900)
Old Homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dunckel, Town of Canajoharie, N.Y.
Date1894
DimensionsSight: 24 1/4 × 30 1/2 in. (61.6 × 77.5 cm)
Object numberN0040.2015L(19)
Credit LineCollection of Frank S. Tosto
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label TextSwinging on a birch-tree!This is summer joy…
Up and down to seesaw,
Merry and at ease,
Careless as a brook is,
Idle as the breeze.
--Lucy Larcom, Swinging on a Birch-Tree, 1867
This is one of at least four drawings of the Dunckel homestead. Each of the Dunckel drawings includes a child on a swing in the breezeway at right. Historic artifacts document outdoor swing sets dating back to 1450 BCE in Ancient Greece, but swings were mostly used by wealthy adults until the mid-nineteenth century. Until that time, the idea of creative play for children was somewhat of a novelty. The industrial revolution, increased urbanization, and child labor laws began to emphasize the need for child-friendly spaces and childhood play free from responsibility.
Vogt occasionally produced drawings that represented an older version of a farm or residence. This “Old Homestead” could be one such drawing. Henry Dunckel (1826-1881) was deceased when this drawing was produced. Did his wife Eliza (Garlock) Dunckel (1828-1895) or one of their children as Vogt to create and title this drawing?
Exhibition History"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
On View
Not on view
