Traveling Coat 1935 - 1942

Nancy Crimi made this ‘Traveling Coat’ out of watercolor on paper, and it feels like a tender act of preservation. The muted color palette and the way the coat is rendered, almost floating against the light background, gives it an ethereal quality. It reminds me of those old family photos where everyone's dressed in their Sunday best, a bit stiff but full of quiet dignity. Look at the subtle variations in tone, especially in the folds of the fabric. Crimi wasn't just painting a coat; she was capturing the play of light and shadow, the way the material drapes and gathers. You can almost feel the texture of the fabric, its weight and warmth. I think of someone like Agnes Martin, who used simple forms and delicate colors to create these contemplative spaces. Like Martin, Crimi invites us to slow down, to really see the beauty in the everyday. It’s like she's saying, "Here's something ordinary, but if you look closely, it's extraordinary." Art is like that, isn't it? A conversation across time.