Man's Great Coat c. 1937

Frederick Jackson’s watercolor, "Man's Great Coat," presents an intriguing study in sartorial history. The coat, with its distinctive cape-like layers, evokes a sense of authority and perhaps even mystery, reminiscent of the garments worn by figures in earlier historical dramas. Consider the cape itself, a symbol that transcends mere functionality. From ancient Roman military cloaks to the capes donned by Renaissance nobility, the cape has always been a signifier of status and power. Its presence in Jackson's coat design carries echoes of these past associations, subtly imbuing the wearer with a sense of historical gravitas. Yet, here, the cape is fragmented into layers, a possible nod to modernity's disruption of traditional hierarchies. This deconstruction invites us to reflect on how symbols evolve, shedding old meanings while acquiring new ones, in an ongoing dance between past and present. The coat becomes a vessel containing layers of collective memory.