Weather Vane

Art Historical Context

**Weather Vane**, a captivating rendering by artist Mina Lowry around 1937, showcases the intricate details of an American folk object through watercolor, graphite, pen and ink on paperboard. Measuring 22.6 x .8 cm, this work meticulously documents a weather vane originally 19 1/4 inches long and 1/2 inches high. Lowry's skilled use of mixed media brings out the vane's form, texture, and patina, blending fluid watercolor washes for depth with precise graphite and ink lines for sharp contours—a technique ideal for accurate reproduction. Created as part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression, this piece reflects a national effort to celebrate and preserve everyday American craftsmanship. Launched in 1935, the IAD employed artists like Lowry to document folk art, tools, and decorative objects, ensuring their cultural legacy amid economic hardship. Weather vanes, often crowning barns and homes, symbolized practical ingenuity and regional pride, embodying the spirit of early American design. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's CG-W department and credited to the IAD, Lowry's work highlights the movement's artistic rigor and historical value, inviting visitors to appreciate how ordinary objects carry profound stories of American heritage.

About the Artist

Mina Lowry · 1894–1942

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...