"Negro Bride" Puppet c. 1937

Verna Tallman created this watercolor painting of a "Negro Bride" puppet. Tallman has depicted a doll adorned in an elaborate wedding gown with considerable attention to detail. The gown is rendered with what appears to be lace, ribbon, beads, and sheer fabric to imitate the texture of the original object, which was reportedly 24" high. The use of watercolor lends an ethereal quality to the figure, emphasizing the intricate details of the dress and veil. The overall impression conveys a sense of fragility and transience, almost as if the puppet is a fleeting vision. The artist's background and the context in which this work was created play a crucial role in understanding its significance, particularly in challenging traditional art history boundaries. This work invites us to consider how materials, making, and context contribute to an artwork's full meaning.