Carved Bird, Garden Decoration
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 30.4 x 40.7 cm (11 15/16 x 16 in.) Original IAD Object: 16" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8715
Art Historical Context
**Carved Bird, Garden Decoration is a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by artist Robert Pohle, created around 1939. Measuring 30.4 x 40.7, this detailed drawing a whimsical 16-inch-long carved wooden bird intended as a garden ornament. Pohle's precise technique brings the bird's lively form, feathers, and expressive features, evoking the charm of American folk art traditions where everyday objects blended functionality with playful artistry. This work is part of the **Index of American Design**, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from the 1930s that employed artists to document t...
About the Artist
Robert Pohle
Robert Pohle is an artist about whom the available historical record provides limited documentation. His dates and nationality have not been firmly established, and the circumstances of his training and career remain unclear from currently available sources. The works associated with his name suggest a practiced hand, but without reliable biographical anchors it is not possible to place him confid...