Weather Vane c. 1939

Helen Alpiner Blumenstiel drew this weather vane, sometime between 1855 and 1995, using pencil and crayon. Just look at the detail! You can almost feel Helen's hand moving across the paper, carefully outlining each feather, capturing the rooster's proud stance. I imagine her studying this metallic object, maybe on a rooftop somewhere, trying to capture its essence with simple lines and shading. There’s something so charming about this close observation. It reminds me of those old scientific drawings, where artists meticulously documented the natural world. Helen's work here feels like that: a careful record, but also a kind of loving portrait of a humble object. You can feel the wind catching its tail and sense the turning around a central point. It reminds us that art can be found in the everyday, and that even the simplest things can be worthy of our attention.