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Early Settlers of Dubuque
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Early Settlers of Dubuque

Artist
Year1937
Classification painting
Medium Oil on canvas adhered to wall
Dimensions6'6" X 8'3"
Location
  • Early Settlers of Dubuque was commissioned for the building by the Section of Painting and Sculpture, Works Progress Administration. The painting fuses together several symbols of the pioneering days with some allusions to the coming of industrialization.  From a formalized covered wagon, a pioneer woman looks intently backward towards the East from which she is being taken into an unknown adventure. The Julian Dubuque Monument perches on top of a distant hill. A Mesquakie village is situated on the banks at the junction of Catfish Creek and the Mississippi River. The ferry used to transport covered wagons is poled across the Mississippi. The future landmarks of Dubuque are implied by the Shot Tower and Old Walter's lead smelter on the right and an imaginary bridge across the top of the mural.