Little Girl with a Large Hat c. 1915 - 1920

Gwen John made this tiny watercolour, ‘Little Girl with a Large Hat’, size of your palm, maybe, with the softest hues imaginable. It feels like an exercise in restraint, like she’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a whisper of an impression. The ochres, pinks and greys she uses are so muted, so close in tone, they almost disappear into one another. The brushstrokes are light, almost tentative, like she’s afraid to disturb the delicate balance of the image. Look at the way she renders the hat – it’s barely there, just a suggestion of form, a halo of colour around the girl's face. It’s all about the feeling, the atmosphere, the mood. There’s something very Whistler-like about it, the way she uses colour to evoke a sense of melancholy and introspection. Yet, at the same time, it's utterly unique, a testament to John's singular vision and her profound understanding of the power of subtlety.