Toy Cow
c. 1940
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 21.9 x 28.9 cm (8 5/8 x 11 3/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 5 1/2" long; 3 7/8" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.8248
Art Historical Context
**Toy Cow**, a charming watercolor and graphite rendering by Hester Duany from around 1940, captures the form of a folk toy cow. Measuring 21.9 x 28.9 cm overall, this precise depiction preserves the essence of a small handmade object—originally 5 1/2 inches long and 3 7/8 inches highlikely crafted from wood in an era of American vernacular artistry. Duany's work highlights the toy's simple, endearing design, evoking the playful spirit of childhood and rural life. Created as part of the *Index of American Design*, a groundbreaking WPA Federal Art Project (1935–1942), this piece documents ever...
About the Artist
Hester Duany
Hester Duany (1891–1964) was an American artist best known for her meticulous renderings of traditional American folk art objects as part of the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. Working out of the New York City Project, Duany contributed dozens of watercolor and graphite drawings on paperboard that captured the intrica...