Toy Cow c. 1940

Curator: Hester Duany created this appealing artwork, a watercolor and pencil drawing of a "Toy Cow," circa 1940. What's your first impression? Editor: Warm, somehow! The sepia tones remind me of old photographs or worn wooden toys. There's also something deliberately simplified about it—not quite photorealistic, is it? Curator: Absolutely. While rendered with precise detail, particularly in the wood grain, it leans into a symbol of a cow rather than a literal depiction. In many cultures, the cow represents abundance, nurturing, and motherhood. Is that something you pick up here? Editor: Hmm, a quiet abundance, maybe. The toy-like quality softens the more serious connotations of agricultural life. It’s like a comforting talisman from childhood, hinting at simpler times. It feels more intimate than grand, don't you think? Curator: I agree. And that intimacy might reflect a wider trend from the period; looking to pastoral imagery and farm animals offered comfort and grounding during periods of upheaval. Editor: The shadows underneath are interesting. They almost ground her, making her more three-dimensional, and even alive. She's both toy and, weirdly, real, all at once. I like the duality of this simple figure. It’s subtle. Curator: A powerful effect achieved with limited colors and modest means, underlining our human capacity to find and imbue ordinary objects with immense symbolic meaning. Editor: Precisely. A cow, not just as a creature, but as an echo. A little moo from the past.