Figures by a Rock Pool 

Dorrit Black painted "Figures by a Rock Pool" using watercolor in an unknown year, capturing a scene that subtly explores themes of leisure and identity in interwar Australia. Black, a modernist painter, had a sophisticated understanding of international art movements, but she chose to depict a seemingly everyday scene. The figures, rendered with loose brushstrokes, invite questions about their relationships and social roles. The choice of a rock pool as the setting is not accidental; these spaces are often places of transition, boundaries between land and sea. As in much of her work, Black avoids idealizing the landscape, presenting it instead as a site where personal and social dynamics play out. "Figures by a Rock Pool" thus captures a moment in time, inviting viewers to reflect on the quiet complexities of Australian life in the early 20th century. Black uses it to subtly challenge the status quo.