Weather Vane
c. 1939
Medium
watercolor and graphite on paperboard
Dimensions
overall: 27.4 x 57.4 cm (10 13/16 x 22 5/8 in.) Original IAD Object: 36 1/2" long
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.16316
Art Historical Context
Frank Budash's *Weather Vane* (c. 1939) is a meticulous rendering from the Index of American Design, a landmark WPA Federal Art Project that employed artists during the Great Depression to document America's folk art heritage. Created in watercolor and graphite on paperboard, this 27.4 x 57.4 cm (10 13/16 x 22 5/8 in.) study captures the essence of a 36 1/2-inch-long original weather vane, preserving its form for posterity. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, it exemplifies the project's goal of celebrating everyday American craftsmanship from colonial times onward. Budash's t...
About the Artist
Frank Budash
Frank Budash was an American artist active during the late 1930s and early 1940s, best known for his contributions to the Index of American Design, a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This ambitious initiative commissioned artists across the United States to create precise watercolor and graphite renderings of everyday American objects, folk crafts, and decorative ...