Child's Coat c. 1937

Dorothy Gernon made this Child’s Coat at an unknown date with pencil and watercolor. I imagine Dorothy, with a practical bent, carefully rendering this sweet cape. It’s such a tender drawing, full of attention to detail. I wonder what it was like for her to make? Did she have a child in mind when she painted it? Was it a wistful work? Or a commission, coolly undertaken? It's hard to say. But the textures are amazing. The rich blue of the fabric is contrasted with the rosy pink of the lining. Those lovely dark stitches catch the light. The colors are so vibrant, almost glowing. I bet she was inspired by clothing catalogs and sewing patterns. It reminds me a bit of the Shaker gift drawings - images made by people committed to their spiritual practice as much as the rendering of physical details. It all becomes part of one big conversation, across time, where we learn to see the world in new ways.