Doll c. 1939

This watercolour doll was painted by Cora Parker, who lived to be 90 years old. I love the delicacy of the washes of colour she’s applied, and the way she's captured a sense of realism through the layering of semi-transparent pigments, it reminds me of building up an image through glazing. The paper shines through the paint in places, especially in the doll’s skirt. Up close you can see the tiny leaf patterns, like light filtering through a canopy of trees. I imagine Parker repeatedly dipping her brush into watery paint, patiently building up layer upon layer. Notice how the green of the bodice is applied so thinly, so unlike the thick, opaque layers I sometimes use! The doll’s face is delicately painted, almost ethereal in its softness. It seems Parker was interested in the interplay between realism and fantasy, and between the material object and its representation. Like the work of Florine Stettheimer, it leaves you wondering about the role of women and representation. Ultimately, in its simplicity and grace, this painting offers a quiet meditation on the nature of art itself.