Toby Figure
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 43.4 x 29.3 cm (17 1/16 x 11 9/16 in.)
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16494
Art Historical Context
**Toby Figure** by Mina Lowry (c. 1940) is a vibrant rendering capturing the whimsical charm of a classic American folk art icon. Created with watercolor, graphite, pen ink on paperboard (43.4 x 29.3 cm), this drawing showcases Lowry's skill in translating three-dimensional pottery into a precise, colorful two-dimensional study. Toby figures, often molded jugs shaped like a jovial man in 18th-century attire, were beloved decorative pieces in colonial and early American homes, symbolizing hospitality and merrymaking. This artwork belongs to the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking WPA ...
About the Artist
Mina Lowry
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...