Hitching Post Finial

Art Historical Context

**Hitching Post Finial** by Mina Lowry, created around 1940, captures the charming whimsy of an American folk art object—a decorative finial crowning a hitching post where horses were once tethered. These finials, often sculpted as playful animal figures, adorned urban and rural landscapes in the 19th and early 20th centuries, blending utility with regional pride. Lowry's rendition, measuring 30.3 x 22.6 cm, preserves this vanishing element of everyday Americana. As part of the *Index of American Design* (IAD), a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project from the 1930s–1940s, this work reflects the era's effort to document and celebrate the nation's folk crafts amid the Great Depression. Artists like Lowry meticulously rendered artifacts in museums and private collections, safeguarding cultural heritage through precise illustrations. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, it highlights how such designs embodied local craftsmanship and equestrian traditions. Lowry employed watercolor, graphite, pen and ink on paperboard to achieve vivid color, fine lines, and subtle shading, evoking the original finial's three-dimensional form—standing 13 1/2 inches high. This mixed-media technique not only documents but also revives the object's lively spirit, inviting visitors to appreciate the artistry in America's functional past.

About the Artist

Mina Lowry · 1894–1942

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...