Petticoat c. 1938

Mary E. Humes made this watercolor and graphite petticoat, and what strikes me is its earth-toned palette. It's like she extracted these browns and tans directly from the soil. I imagine Humes studying the folds, the way the fabric bunches and gathers, and then trying to capture that essence on paper. The texture looks almost quilted, doesn't it? See how she delicately rendered the floral pattern at the hem? It's like she's saying, "Even the most functional of garments can be beautiful." This petticoat reminds me that art exists in unexpected places, in the everyday, and that even the most humble objects can hold beauty and significance. I love that, don't you?