Quaker Baby Shirt c. 1937

Lillian Causey rendered this Quaker Baby Shirt with what seems like watercolor and pencil, achieving a delicate balance between precision and softness. The muted palette focuses on whites and greys, which gives the shirt a ghost-like presence on the paper. There’s something tender in the way Causey handles the fabric's subtle folds and shadows. The marks are thin, controlled, and almost hesitant. Look at the collar in particular. It's a bit like Agnes Martin's drawings, but with a twist of domesticity. The transparency of the watercolor allows the paper's texture to peek through, adding another layer of tactile experience. The piece is a quiet study of form and light, yet it hints at the absent body it once clothed, resonating like a memory. I think of someone like Fairfield Porter, who saw the profound in everyday scenes. Causey's drawing is both modest and deeply evocative. It reminds us that art can be found in the simplest of subjects, transformed by an artist's unique vision.