Dress 1935 - 1942

Jean Gordon created this drawing of a dress, using graphite and watercolor, and it’s lovely. You can feel the process, the hand of the artist, in those delicate washes of color. The material quality here is all about lightness. Think of it – watercolor on paper, a wash of pale pinks and purples, suggesting lace and light fabric. It’s so ephemeral! Look at how Gordon renders the texture of the dress. The way she uses the graphite to sketch out the form and then lets the watercolor bleed and blend – it's like she’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a dream of elegance. That little bow at the front of the dress, for example. See how it's kind of smudged and blurred? It’s not about perfection, it’s about the feeling of a bow, its suggestion. It reminds me of Fragonard, that similar sense of capturing movement and light and the joy of a sketch. I just love how it all comes together to evoke a sense of romanticism and charm.