Decoy Duck

Art Historical Context

**Decoy Duck** by Harriette Gale captures the charm of American folk art in a meticulous rendering from the Index of American Design, created between 1935 and 1942. This watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil work on paper (24.5 x 35.3 cm) depicts a classic wooden duck decoy, those hand-carved lures once essential for waterfowl hunters along America's coasts and wetlands. Gale's precise draftsmanship highlights the decoy's weathered textures and vibrant plumage, evoking the ingenuity of everyday craftsmen. As part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, the Index of American Design employed artists like Gale to document the nation's vanishing folk traditions. Spanning 1935 to 1942, this ambitious initiative produced over 15,000 watercolor renderings of utilitarian objects, preserving cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department, **Decoy Duck** exemplifies how these works blended artistic skill with historical record-keeping. The mixed media—watercolor for luminous color, graphite for fine lines, and colored pencil for subtle shading—allowed unparalleled accuracy, making the decoy leap off the page as if ready for the hunt. Today, it reminds us of America's sporting heritage and the WPA's role in valuing ordinary beauty.