Name/Title
Waseca Courthouse Water ColorEntry/Object ID
1.25.33Description
Material: paper, glass, wood, metal. Size: 10 1/2" x 12 1/2" (frame); 9" x 9 1/2" (print). The overall image depicts a framed watercolor painting of the Waseca County courthouse set amidst a snowy landscape, featuring tall evergreen trees on either side and a garland wrapped street light in front; the piece is shown behind an oval mat and under glass, bordered by a reddish-brown wooden frame; artist wrote in pencil under the image, "Waseca County Courthouse" and "R. A. Hager 1993". The reverse side of print not meant for display depicts a watercolor painting of a young boy dressed in traditional 19th century Norwegian attire, featuring a white shirt with red and green detailing, knee pants adorned with floral patterns, long white stockings, and a scarf tied in a bow around the neck. The boy stands beside a blue and brown trunk with the words "SUNNE ANNO 1856" and "OLE HANSON" inscribed on it. His brown hair is complemented by a cap.Artwork Details
Medium
WatercolorSubject
Waseca County CourthouseContext
The subject of this painting is the Waseca County Courthouse, an architecturally iconic government building, the object of many artistic and photographic replications. The watercolorist, Hager, painted her interpretation of the building on the back of a painting she had previously painted and rejected. The reverse side, not seen in the frame, depicts a Norwegian immigrant, and most certainly is meant to be a representative of the artist's Norwegian ancestry. Her great-grandparents (Sunde) were early settlers (1856) along the Le Sueur River in southern Waseca County. They had immigrated from the Kongsberg area of southern Norway. "Sunne" written on the trunk is in reference to their family farm. The Sunde name, common among the early immigrants to this Waseca County area, is a derivative of their Sunne family roots.Cataloged By
PfenMade/Created
Artist
Hager Ruth Ann (Johnson)Date made
1993Place
* Untyped Place
Waseca, MinnesotaLexicon
Legacy Lexicon
Object Name
Painting, WatercolorClass
Art ObjectCategory
Communication ArtifactsCreate Date
September 23, 2025Update Date
September 24, 2025
