Whirligig
c. 1936
Medium
graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 29 x 22.6 cm (11 7/16 x 8 7/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 12 1/2" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16276
Art Historical Context
Behold the delightful *Whirligig*, a graphite drawing on paperboard by Bernard Westott, created around 1936. Measuring 29 x 22.6 cm, this precise rendering captures a charming American folk art object—a 12½-inch-high wooden whirligig, the kind that spins merrily in the breeze on stick, often carved with whimsical figures like sailors, farmers, or animals. Westmacott's meticulous lines evoke the playful motion and craftsmanship of these 19th-century vernacular toys, popular at county fairs and rural homes. This artwork is a gem from the Index of American Design (IAD), a New Deal-era project un...