Wooden Doll 1940

Curator: This charming piece is called "Wooden Doll," rendered in watercolor and colored pencil by Marie Lutrell in 1940. Editor: My first impression is of a quiet melancholy. There’s a delicacy to the line work, but the overall palette feels muted, restrained. Is this a portrait, or more of a design sketch, would you say? Curator: It’s difficult to say definitively. The application of watercolour gives a real texture; you see Luttrell working, trying, layering. There is an opacity of colour in her dress, but the skirt below reads as something softer. To me, it reveals a dialogue about material, process, but also the function of women’s domestic labor in 1940, and clothing. The texture does suggest she might have wanted to communicate not only the outer look but its inner existence. Editor: And, what about her costume? The dark green outer dress hints at royalty, or some sort of power, cloaking her form. Is she trapped within that costume? Is it an aspiration? I wonder what messages about femininity the clothing contains? The stiff wooden stance also suggests she may be controlled by this. Curator: It’s an interesting contrast between a playful depiction and material seriousness, absolutely! These weren't cheap materials. The very labor involved suggests a cultural context where such detailed craftsmanship still held a particular social significance. A carefully worked thing. Editor: Yes, I see that! She seems fragile but determined, trapped in the amber of 1940s expectations. We cannot determine her purpose without an exploration into her cultural values in order to discover that deeper symbolism! Curator: It speaks to me of an artist working within constrained circumstances but finding ways to make a statement through the careful attention to process. And material value. Editor: It certainly rewards that close consideration. Thanks for offering your insights on that fascinating doll. Curator: Likewise. A simple image can offer great insight.