Petit profil (Seated Girl Wearing a Red Coat and a Blue Hat) 1920 - 1925

Gwen John made this delicate watercolor, Petit profil, of a seated girl wearing a red coat and a blue hat at an unknown date. The painting is so quiet; it’s as if everything has been toned down a notch, like memories fading in the sunlight. Look at the way the colors just barely cling to the surface, thin washes layered to create a soft, powdery effect. It's like she's whispering secrets onto the paper. And the color palette, muted and subtle, creates a sense of intimacy. The reds, blues and purples work together in a kind of gentle harmony. The paint application is like a breath – light and airy, just enough to suggest form and feeling. It makes me think of Morandi, another artist who found poetry in the everyday, in the spaces between things. There is no grand statement, just a quiet observation, a moment suspended in time.