Shoulder Shawl c. 1938

Curator: This watercolor drawing, titled "Shoulder Shawl," comes to us from around 1938 and is credited to Arthur G. Merkley. It depicts a brown and white plaid design. My immediate reaction is a sense of muted warmth. Editor: It evokes that coziness we associate with autumn, doesn’t it? But for me, beyond that first impression, this artwork asks about the larger cultural context of tartan. Curator: Precisely! Tartan isn't merely decorative; it carries the weight of clan identity, rebellion, and later, high fashion. The symbolism within its threads can run deep into national and political narratives. Thinking about the era it was created, I’m drawn to understand what wearing, displaying, or even designing such a textile signified in the late 1930s. Editor: Notice also how even a fragment hints at the larger whole? This snippet suggests the repetition and interconnectedness characteristic of tartan—visually alluding to a community’s bonds. Also, brown is very much tied to reliability, but it is countered here with the purity of white: tradition versus new possibilities. Curator: I wonder what motivated Merkley’s choice of medium? Watercolor lends the piece a certain fragility. It perhaps serves as a counterpoint to tartan's historical associations with resilience. Editor: A lovely thought, perhaps he was after imbuing such traditions with a more delicate spirit. One could say that the use of textile relates to ideas surrounding labor, gender, and class. Historically, the production of textiles was closely tied to female labor and domesticity. This simple shawl becomes unexpectedly laden with layers of significance! Curator: It really invites questions on cultural exchange, artistic license, and the very notion of what constitutes representation. Even this one watercolor study gives insight to these many histories and narratives. Editor: True, what started out looking so straightforward, is so nuanced once one thinks beyond the immediate surface.