Running Horse Weather Vane

Art Historical Context

Behold the *Running Horse Weather Vane a vibrant watercolor and graphite rendering by Alfred Denghausen, created around 1937 as part of the Index of American Design (IAD). This New Deal-era project, sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, commissioned artists to meticulously document America's folk art and decorative traditions through precise, colorful drawings. Denghausen's depiction captures a dynamic 24-inch-long sheet metal weather vane, likely a 19th-century folk craft icon, showcasing the horse in mid-gallop against a stormy sky—evoking motion and the whimsy of rural American life. Rendered on paper (27.8 x 38.9 cm), the work blends soft watercolor washes for atmospheric depth with sharp graphite lines for structural clarity, highlighting the vane's handcrafted details like riveted joints and directional arrow. Weather vanes, perched atop barns and steeples since colonial times, served practical purposes while reflecting cultural symbols of prosperity and speed; the running horse motif, inspired by racing thoroughbreds, embodied Yankee ingenuity and optimism. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this piece preserves vanishing artisanal heritage amid the Great Depression, inviting us to appreciate how everyday objects became emblems of national identity. A testament to Denghausen's skill, it bridges art and history for modern eyes.