Weather Vane - Horse
c. 1939
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 38 x 51 cm (14 15/16 x 20 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 26 1/4" wide; 19 1/4" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16202
Art Historical Context
**Weather Vane - Horse** Herman Bader (c. 1939) is a meticulous graphite drawing on paperboard, measuring 38 x 51 cm, capturing the dynamic form of a traditional American horse weather vane. Rendered with fine precision, the work depicts the original object's graceful silhouette—originally 26¼ inches wide by 19¼ inches high—highlighting its sculptural curves and functional arrow tail, hallmarks of early American folk craftsmanship. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942, this drawing preserves vanish...
About the Artist
Herman Bader
Herman Bader is an artist whose life and career are poorly documented in existing historical sources. No birth or death dates have been confirmed, and his nationality or place of work remains uncertain, leaving significant gaps in any account of his development as an artist. The body of work attributed to Bader, preserved in collections, suggests he was a productive figure in his era. His artisti...