Woman's Slipper c. 1938

Francis Law Durand made this watercolor of a woman's slipper; we don't know exactly when. It’s a straightforward depiction, a drawing of an object, but it also feels like it’s floating in another world. The artist is playing with flatness and depth. Notice how the heel and toe are more defined, while the center of the slipper is kind of washed out. It’s like Durand is interested in the slipper as a shape as much as a three-dimensional object. The texture of the flower embellishment is so subtly drawn. It suggests a sense of care and attention to detail, but there are also parts that are less defined. This isn’t just about showing us a slipper; it’s about the act of looking, the process of trying to capture something in paint. The piece reminds me a little of some of Alex Katz’s paintings, with his focus on form and the way he flattens space. Art's an ongoing conversation. It’s never about fixed answers, always more questions.