Prince Charles Spaniel

Art Historical Context

"Prince Charles Spaniel" a charming watercolor and graphite rendering by artist Mina Lowry, created around 1938. This delicate work captures the likeness of a small decorative object—a spaniel dog figurine standing just 8 1/2 inches high—depicting the elegant, curly-eared Prince Charles Spaniel (a variety of the King Charles Spaniel breed). Lowry's precise drawing on paperboard measures 46.7 x 34.9 cm, showcasing the object's lifelike fur texture, poised stance, and whimsical personality through soft washes of watercolor and fine graphite lines. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era Federal Art Project from 1935 to 1942, this piece exemplifies efforts to document and celebrate everyday American folk and decorative arts during the Great Depression. Sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the IAD employed artists like Lowry to produce accurate, colorful records of regional crafts, preserving cultural heritage for future generations. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it highlights how such initiatives supported artists while safeguarding vanishing traditions. Lowry's technique—blending translucent watercolors for depth and graphite for meticulous detail—mirrors the IAD's goal of faithful reproduction, making the humble spaniel a window into 19th- or early 20th-century American material culture. Pet figurines like this were beloved household ornaments, reflecting affection for companion animals and artisanal whimsy in design.

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...