Fish Weather Vane
1935/1942
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 23.4 x 35.6 cm (9 3/16 x 14 in.) Original IAD Object: 30" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.17506
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of Art's of American folk art through the *Index of American Design*. Matsubara's *Fish Weather Vane*1935/1942), rendered in watercolor and graphite on paperboard (23.4 x 35.6 cm), vividly captures a whimsical 30-inch-long folk sculpture likely used atop barns or homes to indicate wind direction. The fish form, with its sinuous body and expressive features, exemplifies early American craftsmanship, blending functionality with playful design rooted in maritime or rural traditions. Created as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project during ...