Whirligig: Hessian Soldier
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 28.9 x 22.4 cm (11 3/8 x 8 13/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 26 3/4" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16271
Art Historical Context
Behold the whimsical *Whirligig: Soldier*, a vibrant watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink rendering by artist Mina Lowry, created around 1937. Measuring about 11⅜ × 8⅞ inches on paperboard, this work captures a charming folk art whirligig—a wind garden figure depicting a Hessian mercenary from the American Revolutionary era. These lively sculptures, often carved from wood, feature arms and props that spin in the breeze, blending playfulness with historical nod to the German soldiers who fought for the British. Lowry's piece is part of the *Index of American Design*, a landmark WPA Federal Ar...
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...