Quaker Baby Shirt c. 1937

Lillian Causey, an artist who lived an incredibly long life, made this gentle watercolor of a Quaker Baby Shirt. Imagine her in the studio, the careful layering of pigment to capture the soft folds and shadows of the fabric. The shirt is depicted with such tenderness, almost like a portrait. I wonder, what was Causey thinking as she painted this? Was she remembering a child in her life, or perhaps reflecting on the simplicity and purity associated with Quaker clothing? You can almost feel the delicate texture of the cloth, the way it would have felt against a baby’s skin. There is an emotional honesty to this piece, a quiet contemplation of everyday life that reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin. Like Martin, Causey finds profound meaning in the subtle and understated. It's a reminder that art doesn’t always have to shout, sometimes the most powerful statements are whispered.