Peddler Doll
c. 1936
Medium
watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 28.6 x 23 cm (11 1/4 x 9 1/16 in.) Original IAD Object: 12" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.15399
Art Historical Context
Behold the charming *Peddler Doll*, a watercolor, gouache, and graphite rendering by artist Mina Lowry, created around 1936. This delicate work, measuring 28.6 x 23 cm, captures the whimsical details of a folk art doll standing about 12 inches tall—likely an itinerant peddler with a satchel of wares, evoking America's early craft traditions and everyday life. Lowry's piece is part of the *Index of American Design*, a landmark Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. Launched in 1935, this initiative employed artists to document the nation'...
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...