Knit Hose 1935 - 1942

E.J. Gilsleider made this artwork of knitted hose using pencil and watercolor. I'm really moved by the softness of the colors here. It almost feels as though the socks have emerged spontaneously from the paper. I think this may have been an emotional exercise. Do you think the artist was perhaps reflecting on everyday life? Maybe even yearning for simpler times? I sympathize with the artist as I stand here looking at their work; the intimacy of the pencil marks reminds me of the joy found in simple, domestic tasks. And, of course, the quiet beauty found in the mundane. The subtle gradations of color and the delicate strokes of the pencil show me that Gilsleider was trying to capture not just the likeness of the knitted hose, but also something about its essence. In this way, Gilsleider reminds me of Fairfield Porter, who believed in the power of art to make us see and feel the world around us in new ways.