Wedding Veil c. 1941

Mary Fitzgerald made this drawing of a wedding veil on paper, and the precision of the lines is something to behold. Imagine her, with the original veil in front of her, carefully observing and translating the delicate lace patterns. I wonder what it might have been like to create this work? Mary probably spent hours replicating the scallops, flowers, and beaded garlands. This is a patient piece. Look at the texture of the veil; it has a beautiful weight to it, even though it's just an image. There is an optical hum that shimmers across the surface! Fitzgerald wasn’t just copying; she was interpreting, feeling the shape of each tiny motif, understanding the relationship between the parts, and finding a new life for it on the page. It reminds me how artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and media, influencing and inspiring. Painting, drawing, even embroidery, becomes this embodied expression, full of ambiguity and uncertainty. So, really, there are many interpretations and meanings that grow over time.