Weather Vane
c. 1938
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 30.5 x 23 cm (12 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 108" high; 66" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16129
Art Historical Context
**Weather Vane**, a captivating watercolor and graphite rendering by Ernest A. Towers Jr., dates to around 1938 and measures 30.5 x 23 cm. This delicate work on paper meticulously documents a grand original weather vane—standing 108 inches high and 66 inches widelikely a whimsical folk art creation from America's vernacular tradition. Towers, working in the realistic style favored by the project, captures the vane's intricate details, from its sculptural form to its functional elegance, evoking the playful ingenuity of early American craftsmen who adorned barns and rooftops with such direction...
About the Artist
Ernest A. Towers, Jr.
Ernest A. Towers, Jr. was an American artist active during the late 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his meticulous contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create watercolor renderings of everyday American folk art, crafts, and decorative objec...