Dress 1935 - 1942

Bessie Forman made this watercolour, titled ‘Dress’, and in it, the layers of translucent paint create a luminous effect. The material aspect of this work is particularly striking. The way the watercolor washes over the paper allows the whiteness to shine through, creating a gentle glow. You can almost feel the delicate fabric and soft touch through the colour, but it still captures the structured shape of the garment. The paint is thin, applied in transparent layers that allow light to penetrate and reflect. There's a sense of airiness, as if the dress might float away. Notice the delicate floral embellishments scattered across the gown; the red pops against the muted tones of the dress. Forman’s approach to this image is comparable to what you might see in the works of someone like Georgia O’Keefe; it is a testament to the way an artwork can embrace ambiguity, celebrating multiple interpretations over fixed meanings.