Chalkware Figure - Mary and Her Sheep

Art Historical Context

Behold the delicate charm of *Chalkware Figure - Mary and Her Sheep*, a circa 1939 watercolor and graphite rendering on paperboard by artist Mina Lowry. Measuring 27.5 × 21.5 cm, this intimate work captures the whimsical details of a traditional chalkware figurine—a painted plaster sculpture depicting the biblical Mary tending her flock. Lowry's precise graphite outlines and soft watercolor washes bring the figure's pastoral innocence to life, highlighting its molded form, vibrant colors, and gentle narrative. Created as part of the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942, this piece reflects Depression-era efforts to document and celebrate America's folk art heritage. Artists like Lowry produced thousands of such meticulous studies, preserving everyday objects that embodied cultural identity amid economic hardship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it underscores the project's role in valuing vernacular crafts over elite fine art. Chalkware, popular in 19th-century America, offered affordable, colorful home decorations often inspired by religious or rural themes. Lowry's rendering immortalizes this democratic art form, inviting us to appreciate its naive beauty and the enduring spirit of American craftsmanship.

About the Artist

Mina Lowry · 1894–1942

Mina Lowry (1894–1942), an American artist born in Canada, emerged as a prominent portrait painter whose career bridged traditional portraiture and the documentation of American folk art. Immigrating to Buffalo, New York, with her family around 1901, she honed her skills early on, winning first prize for modeling at the Albright Art School and studying under the esteemed Florence J. Bach. Lowry fu...