"Shutter Dog"

Art Historical Context

"Shutter Dog," a delicate watercolor and graphite rendering by F.W. Powell from 1935/1942, captures the humble yet charming form of a traditional American shutter holdback—a cast-iron device used to secure window shutters open against colonial-era homes. Measuring 28 x 22.6 cm, this precise drawing highlights the functional beauty of everyday hardware, with its whimsical S-shaped design evoking a dog's tail or paw, a nod to colonial craftsmanship. Created as part of the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942), Powell's work documents America's folk art and dec...