Weather Vane c. 1939

This is a drawing of a weather vane by Helen Alpiner Blumenstiel. I love the obsessive mark-making, the repetition of line and tone, she really knew how to commit to a process. The drawing is so matter-of-fact, so dedicated to describing the object. The rooster stands, poised and alert, feathers meticulously rendered in a kind of shorthand. Notice the way Blumenstiel uses line to suggest form, the subtle gradations of tone that create a sense of depth, especially in the tail. I think there's something beautiful about the way it captures a slice of Americana, and also makes me think about other artists who've drawn farm animals, like Walton Ford. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation, borrowing and riffing off each other through time.