Above: "Irish Cottage," an oil painting by Josephine Joy (1869-1948), created while she was in the WPA's Federal Art Project, ca. 1935-1938. The exhibit label for this painting reads: "This quaint Irish cottage was probably inspired by romantic illustrations of Ireland that appeared in American travel brochures and books. The lady playing a harp, however, is based on the symbol of the Society of United Irishmen, an organization formed in 1791 to rebel against British control. Their badge combined a harp (Ireland's national icon), with the motto: 'It is new strung and shall be heard.'" Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Above: A closer look at the lady playing the harp, and the motto, "It is new strung and shall be heard."
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