Doll 1935 - 1942

Esther Peck made this watercolor of a doll, we don't know exactly when. The whole image feels like it’s breathing with the character and the materiality of the paint. The red of the jacket is mirrored in the trim of the skirt, as though echoing the doll's very self. Notice how the red is not just a flat color but alive with a whole range of tones. It's not about perfection, but about the life of a color as it finds its place on the paper. And that little fur muff she's carrying? It’s as if Peck is inviting us to touch the picture, to feel the softness. I am reminded of the work of Redon, there's that same quiet intensity, an invitation to get lost in the reverie of color and form. Art making is always a conversation, and it's interesting to see the echoes of one artist in another, each adding their own voice to the mix.