Waistcoat 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a waistcoat—author unknown—was made with delicate strokes of pencil and watercolor. I can imagine the artist, carefully mapping out the details, each button and flourish meticulously rendered. It makes me think about the conversations that happen between craft and fine art. The surface is so subdued, so light, it almost seems like a ghost of a waistcoat. Look closely at the faint ornamentation, echoing across the fabric like a whispered pattern. What kind of person would have worn this waistcoat? What were their dreams? Were they ever brought to life, or are they like this painting, suspended, still waiting to be? Painters are always in dialogue with one another, even across centuries. Even with anonymous paintings like this one. It’s like we’re all contributing to one big, ongoing conversation. The real beauty lies in the ambiguity, the space for infinite possibilities.