Plow

Art Historical Context

Behold the meticulously rendered *Plow*, a captivating watercolor and graphite drawing on paper created around 1940 by artists Edith Towner and Harry Waddell. Measuring 25.2 x 35.6 cm, this work is a gem from the National Gallery of Art's Index of American Design (Department CG-W). The Index, a Depression-era initiative under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project (193–1942), commissioned artists to document everyday American folk objects, crafts, and designs through precise, colorful renderings—celebrating the nation's cultural heritage amid economic hardship. Towner and Waddell's collaboration exemplifies the Index's signature style: graphite for intricate lines and structural accuracy, overlaid with watercolor to evoke the wood's grain, metal's gleam, and patina of age on this humble farming tool. Such plows were vital to 19th-century American agriculture, symbolizing ingenuity and self-reliance on the frontier. This artwork not only preserves a vanishing artifact of rural life but also highlights the WPA's role in employing artists while fostering national pride. It invites us to appreciate the artistry in utility, reminding visitors of America's resilient spirit.