Pa. German Parrot
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 36 x 28.7 cm (14 3/16 x 11 5/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 1/2" long; 8 1/16" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.3724
Art Historical Context
Behold the vibrant *Pa. German Parrot a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by artist Mina Lowry, created between 1935 and 1942. This work is part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project that employed artists during the Great Depression to meticulously document America's folk art heritage. Lowry's precise depiction captures a charming Pennsylvania German folk carving—a 6½-inch-long, 8⅛-inch-high wooden parrot—reflecting the whimsical carved figures popular among Pennsylvania Dutch communities in the 18th and 19th centuries. The IAD's mission w...
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...