Ball Dress c. 1938

Edith Magnette made this drawing of a ball dress with some kind of watercolour, probably sometime in the late 19th century. What strikes me most is how lightly the artist is touching the page, or maybe the page is touching the artist! It's so weightless, I wonder if it could float away? Look at how the colours are so pastel, barely there. She's really letting the white of the page do a lot of work, creating a gossamer feel. I love the little floral details dotted across the gown; each one feels like a gesture, a brushstroke of a thought. The absence of the wearer is also very present in this drawing. We can imagine the figure beneath, hidden but not really. I am reminded of the drawings of dress patterns made by the artist Paul P., both artists share a sense of something so intimate, held back, so demure. I can almost hear the rustling of the dress.