Waistcoat c. 1937

Jean Peszel made this waistcoat, around the turn of the century, from what seems to be gouache and graphite on paper. I love how the waistcoat emerges, line by line, from the paper. Imagine Peszel, leaning in, each stripe a careful decision, a breath held. Look at how the lines waver, not quite perfect, giving it a handmade, human feel. It reminds me of artists like Fairfield Porter, who found beauty in the everyday. There's a quiet attentiveness here. What was Peszel thinking as they rendered this garment? What world did they imagine it in? Maybe they saw art as a practical, playful thing, deeply connected to the real world and the people that inhabit it. I like to imagine them smiling softly as the waistcoat slowly took shape. After all, art is just a long conversation between artists, across time, and space.