Three Decoy Ducks

Art Historical Context

**Three Decoy Ducks** by Harriette Gale created around 1937, captures the charm of three wooden hunting decoys in a vivid watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil on paperboard (50 x 39 cm). These meticulously detailed birds—likely mallards or similar species—showcase the subtle contours, painted feathers, and weathered patina of functional American folk art objects, evoking the wetlands and coastal traditions of early 20th-century hunting culture. This work is part of the *Index of American Design*, a landmark Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. During the Great Depression, artists like Gale documented everyday American crafts and designs through precise, colorful plates, preserving cultural heritage for future generations. The Index produced over 15,000 renderings, highlighting regional folk traditions and influencing modern appreciation of vernacular art. Gale's mixed-media technique blends watercolor's fluidity for lifelike plumage with graphite's precision for textures and colored pencil's vibrancy for accents, making the decoys leap off the page. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this piece invites visitors to celebrate the artistry in humble tools, bridging utility and aesthetics in America's design story.