Cap c. 1936

Curator: Standing before us, we have "Cap," a delicate pencil drawing on paper created around 1936 by Jean Peszel. Editor: It's strikingly spare. The barely-there pencil work makes the headwear seem almost spectral. Two views, a primary rendering and what looks like maybe a detail shot. A blueprint for fashion, perhaps? Curator: I sense a deeper connection, something more tender. It almost feels like Peszel wasn't just depicting an object, but the very essence of adornment, protection… a woman's touch. I see these wisps of flowers as representing memories. The cap itself is simple, but the love in its craftsmanship rings clear to me. Editor: I appreciate that emotional read. But I'm drawn to how meticulously the pattern is rendered— the floral designs, the repeating dots. All created with just pencil on paper, speaks to a specific kind of textile production, of labor. You have to consider how widely such items were produced and consumed. Was it meant as mass consumption or personal affection, the materials speak for it. Curator: Absolutely. The question of intention. What sort of material impact did she want her pieces to generate. Even though rendered on a 2D surface this representation evokes texture that hints toward design’s power to shape desire and industry Editor: It is important to point that drawings like this may have functioned in many capacities, but I am more so drawn to the economic possibilities of the work itself and how accessible these designs could be or not. The level of accessibility is not equal to what some believe of that period Curator: Ultimately, I return to a sense of shared humanity in how this artwork. The tenderness present in such detailed craftsmanship really offers us a timeless emotional bond between people, the person creating and the person wearing or purchasing or using… Editor: While I understand the sentimental appeal, the economic framework here interests me above all else.