Wax Group (Detail)
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper
Dimensions
overall: 20.5 x 28.3 cm (8 1/16 x 11 1/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 23" high; 32 1/2" wide; 17 1/2" deep
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15564
Art Historical Context
**Wax Group (Detail)** created by artist Mina Lowry around 1936, is a delicate rendering in watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paper, measuring 20.5 x 28.3 cm. This work captures a detailed view of a three-dimensional wax sculpture group—originally 23 inches high, 32½ inches wide, and ½ inches deep—preserving the intricate textures and forms of an American folk art object. Lowry's precise technique highlights the luminous quality of wax, blending soft watercolor washes for depth, graphite for fine lines, and gouache for opaque highlights, evoking the sculptural realism of 19th-century tablea...
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...