Corn Husk Doll
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29.9 x 22.9 cm (11 3/4 x 9 in.) Original IAD Object: 11" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16822
Art Historical Context
**Corn Husk Doll**, a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering by Mina Lowry circa 1936, captures charming simplicity of a traditional American craft. Measuring nearly 12 by 9 inches on paperboard, this artwork depicts an 11-inch-high corn husk, a handmade figure crafted from dried corn husks, often adorned with simple fabric or yarn details. Lowry's precise depiction highlights the doll's whimsical form—its soft, textured body evoking rural ingenuity and playfulness. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) d...
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...