Whirligig

c. 1941

Mina Lowry

Associated Names
Mina Lowry

Artist, American, born Canada, 1894 - 1942

This is a painting of a carved wooden figure holding two paddles. The figure is depicted in a simplistic folk art style, standing on a base with a support rod running through the legs. The figure wears a navy blue jacket and has a black hat on its head, with a serious expression on its face. The two paddles, held upwards by each arm, are painted in a natural wood color, contrasting with the deep blue attire of the figure. The craftsmanship emphasizes rustic details.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    watercolor, graphite, colored pencil and scraping, and pen and ink on paperboard

  • Credit Line

    Index of American Design

  • Dimensions

    overall: 71.9 x 35.6 cm (28 5/16 x 14 in.)
    Original IAD Object: 29 3/4" high

  • Accession Number

    1943.8.7766

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

2002

  • Drawing on America's Past: Folk Art, Modernism, and the Index of American Design, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2002-2003, no. 81, as Quaker Whirligig.

2014

  • Folk Art and American Modernism, Fenimore Art Museum, New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown; American Folk Art Museum, New York, 2014 - 2015, unnumbered catalogue.

2019

  • Outliers and American Vanguard Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 28 Jan 2018-13 May 2018; High Museum of Art, Atlanta 24 Jun 2018-30 Sep 2018; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, 18 Nov 2018-18 Mar 2019, cat. 4.

Bibliography

2002

  • Drawing on America's Past: Folk Art, Modernism, and the Index of American Design. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2002-2003: no. 81.

2018

  • Cooke, Lynne. Outliers and American Vanguard Art. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; Los Angeles County Museum, 2018: 133, no. 4.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: Mina Lowry.

Wikidata ID

Q64617756

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