Quaker Doll 1935 - 1942

Jacob Gielens created this understated drawing of a doll, possibly in watercolor, and perhaps from life. I really feel for Gielens here, it's like he's trying to capture something so sweet and dear, but it's also slightly stiff. I can just see him, squinting, trying to get the light just right on that little shawl. It’s thin, you know? You can see the pencil lines coming through. It is all about observation and subtle precision. The colours are muted, earthy tones, like maybe he mixed them himself, grinding the pigments. It's like he's whispering to us, inviting us to look closer, to see the tenderness in the everyday. There's something honest and unpretentious about it, reminiscent of folk art, a pure expression of feeling. It reminds me of the directness of Fairfield Porter, in its own way. It’s as though he's saying, 'Here, look at this, isn't it something?' And it is.