Shaker Man's Costume 1935 - 1942

Helen E. Gilman made this watercolour and graphite work called Shaker Man's Costume on paper; it's a very pale and delicate study, almost ghostly. I wonder what Gilman was thinking when she made this? What did the costume mean to her? The Shakers were, after all, so invested in making things and designing things and the idea of a Shaker aesthetic is still something that inspires people today. Gilman's use of graphite for the reverse view gives it a sketched and provisional feel and is quite touching. It feels like she might have been feeling her way, using the act of drawing to think about the real thing. It makes me think of the way that painters are always in conversation with each other, and that this piece is part of an ongoing exchange of ideas across time. Each of us takes inspiration from the past and adds our own voice to the mix.