Ladies Toilet Set c. 1936

Curator: Oh, this is quite charming. It evokes such a specific era. Editor: Yes, almost dreamlike! So pastel, it feels delicate, precious, almost nostalgic for an imagined past. Curator: Let me orient our listeners. This watercolour drawing, titled "Ladies Toilet Set," comes to us from around 1936. William Vergani is credited as its creator, although relatively little is known about Vergani himself. What stands out to you from a materials perspective? Editor: The immediate contrast to its almost fussy subject matter is the apparent economy of means. It is watercolor, but it does seem to replicate metal quite convincingly – even if we know it’s actually on paper. How interesting to elevate what could be regarded as functional craft in an everyday item via representation. Curator: Precisely. Notice how the symmetry and ornamentation are more than just decorative. The mirror becomes a sort of portal, flanked by these vase-like structures. There’s an implication of reflection, not just of one's physical image, but also perhaps of one's interiority. The small bird emblem in the bowl contributes to this theme – freedom, song, beauty held within a contained space. The whole design carries so many potent themes. Editor: The bowl really makes me think about labor, both the creation and function, given all those dainty little flowers around the border; someone, somewhere would be maintaining this object daily. Curator: Yes, those miniature details serve as reminders of value. Consider the social symbolism embedded in an object like this – the implied rituals of beauty, status, and refinement, available at this period in history only to the privileged elite. How fascinating! Editor: It is also important to consider what wasn't pictured. Given what we see – the floral motif, the symmetry – there is a great amount of artifice contained. The object, in watercolour illustration, stands removed from the labor required to create it and use it. Curator: Yes. I shall remember Vergani’s piece differently after our chat. Editor: And I appreciate how we see labor elevated by symbolism, rather than simple function.