Weather Vane
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 31.5 x 30 cm (12 3/8 x 11 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 6 5/8" high; 7 1/2" wide
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16675
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming *Weather V* (c. 1937) H. Langden Brown, a delicate watercolor,, and gouache rendering on paperboard, measuring31.5 x 30. This artwork captures whimsical form of a small-scale—6 5/8 high and 7 1/2 wide—likely a American folk weather vane, those wind sentinels perched atop and steeples, often adorned withosters or directional arrows to the weather. Created as of the Index of American (IAD), a groundbreaking Federal Project under the Works Progress during the Great Depression, Brown's piece exemplifies national effort to document and everyday American craftsmanship. From1935 ...
About the Artist
H. Langden Brown
H. Langden Brown (1879–1960) was an American artist best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1935 to 1942. This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create meticulous watercolor renderings of everyday objects, tools, vehicles, and crafts that embodied the nation's folk...