Weather Vane Horse c. 1940

Editor: Here we have "Weather Vane Horse" made around 1940, it's a bronze sculpture. There's something almost majestic, yet restrained, about this stylized figure. What can you tell me about the piece? Curator: This piece speaks volumes about the changing role of horses in American society during the early 20th century. By 1940, the horse was transitioning from a primary mode of transportation and farm labor to a symbol of leisure and rural nostalgia. What do you make of the fact that it’s a weathervane? Editor: That it's meant to show the direction of the wind! Was this sculpture intended only as functional object, or was there artistic value given to the "Weather Vane Horse" as an art form during the 1940s? Curator: Ah, that’s the crux of it. Weather vanes existed in a fascinating space - practical objects often created by artisans whose work straddled craft and art. Think about where these sculptures were placed – atop barns, houses, institutions - declaring something about the owner. What kind of statement do you think the owner would have wanted to convey in that time? Editor: I see, this particular piece is simple, elegant… Perhaps the owner valued tradition and the rural ideal in a rapidly changing world? The weathervane form certainly links back to a simpler, more agricultural era. Curator: Precisely. And how might its display in a museum setting today shift or solidify that narrative? Does it become purely an art object, divorced from its original context, or does that history become even more pronounced? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. Seeing it here makes me appreciate the craftsmanship, the bronze work, in a way I wouldn't have if I saw it on a barn roof! Curator: Indeed. Its journey from utilitarian object to a preserved artifact reveals so much about evolving social values and art’s ability to reflect and shape those changes.