Top (With Winding String)
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor, pen and ink, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.8 x 23 cm (11 5/16 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 5" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17521
Art Historical Context
"Top (With Winding String)" by Mina Lowry, created between 1935 and 1942, captures the simple yet timeless charm of a classic American spinning top—a wooden toy activated by winding string around its body and releasing it to whirl with centrifugal force. Rendered at 28.8 x 23 cm on paper, this delicate work showcases Lowry's meticulous eye for everyday objects that embodied American ingenuity and playfulness during the Great Depression era. As part of the Index of Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the artwork served a vital cultural mission. La...
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...