Owl
c. 1942
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 45.9 x 30.6 cm (18 1/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17155
Art Historical Context
Hester Duany's *Owl* (c. 1942) is a captivating watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering on paperboard, measuring 45.9 x 30.6 cm. Created during World War II, this delicate work exemplifies the meticulous draftsmanship of its era, blending soft washes of color with precise linework to evoke texture and form. The owl motif, rendered with an eye for naturalistic detail, likely draws from American folk traditions, where such birds symbolized wisdom and vigilance in decorative carvings or household objects. This piece belongs to the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Proj...
About the Artist
Hester Duany
Hester Duany (1891–1964) was an American artist best known for her meticulous renderings of traditional American folk art objects as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. Working out of the New York City Project, Duany contributed dozens of watercolor and graphite drawings on paperboard that captured the intrica...