Chalkware Group - Lamb and Sheep
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
sheet: 31.8 × 40.5 cm (12 1/2 × 15 15/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/2" high; 8 1/2" wide; 3 5/8" deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3543
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate charm of *Chalkware Group - Lamb Sheep*, a captivating watercolor, graphite, and gouache by artist Mina Lowry, created around 1938. This work captures a pair of whimsical chalkware figures—molded plaster sculptures popular in 19th-century American folk, often hand-painted with vibrant enamels to adorn homes as affordable decorative treasures. Lowry's precise depiction, on a 31.8 × 40.5 cm sheet of paperboard, meticulously records the original object's modest scale (6 1/2" high; 8 1/2" wide; 3 5/8" deep), highlighting their gentle curves and pastoral innocence. As part of t...
About the Artist
Mina Lowry
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...