Dress
c. 1941
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and goauche on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29 x 22.9 cm (11 7/16 x 9 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.1468
Art Historical Context
**Dress** by Mina Lowry (c. 1941) is a captivating watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard, measuring 29 x 22.9 cm. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), this work meticulously captures the form and details of an American dress, transforming a functional garment into a work of art that preserves cultural heritage. The IAD, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from the 1930s and 1940s, artists across the U.S. to document everyday objects, crafts, and reflective of American life. Lowry's piece exemplifies this mission, blending precise graphite outlines with vi...
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...