Eagle Weather Vane
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 37.8 x 50.3 cm (14 7/8 x 19 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 19 3/4" wide; 15" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17287
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *Eagle Vane*, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Chris Makrenos created between 1935 1942. Measuring 37.8 x 50.3 cm, this artwork faithfully documents an original folk art object—19¾ inches wide and 15 inches high—casing the eagle in dynamic flight, a quintessential symbol of American freedom and vigilance often perched atop barns and steeples. As part of the Index of Design (IAD), a groundbreaking Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Makrenos's piece preserves the ingenuity of early American craftsmanship during the Great Depr...
About the Artist
Chris Makrenos
Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...