Corset c. 1938

Marie Mitchell made this drawing of a corset, sometime in her lifetime which stretched from 1855 to 1955. I wonder if she was looking at the garment, or whether she was working from memory or imagination. There’s something so simple and direct about this composition; the precision and detail of the corset against the flat background makes me think about the hours she must have spent rendering this everyday object. I can imagine her sitting by a window with the light streaming in, carefully observing each line, curve, and shadow. Did she wear a corset herself? Did she find them beautiful or oppressive? The soft, muted tones create a quiet atmosphere, which almost feels reverential. I can imagine the artist's hand moving with a delicate touch, building up layers of graphite, or maybe it’s watercolor. It makes me think about the tradition of artists documenting the objects around them, as well as of painters like Morandi who dedicated his life to painting bottles. There's a profound beauty in elevating the mundane.