Wax Doll c. 1936

Mary E. Humes made this watercolor of a wax doll, sometime during her lifetime from 1855 to 1995. The painting is made up of soft washes, greys, creams, and browns. It’s amazing how much information is packed into these delicate hues. I’m really drawn to the doll’s dress, how the subtle layering and blending of pigment gives volume and form to the soft fabric. The shadows create depth in the numerous folds, and the barely-there pigment evokes a sense of ethereal lightness. The artist even included the doll’s little feet which are visible beneath the dress’s hem. The doll's wide eyes seem to stare right through you. In some ways it puts me in mind of the work of another American artist, Alice Neel, particularly her portraits of children which capture a similarly direct and affecting quality. It's funny how paintings of seemingly simple subjects can hold so much complexity.