Blouse c. 1937

Curator: Oh, it's so… perfectly ordinary, isn’t it? Almost nostalgically quaint. Like something you’d find in a long-lost relative’s attic. Editor: It kind of reminds me of a melancholic ghost waltzing across the room. So… fragile! Curator: Well, let's give a bit of context. We're looking at "Blouse", created around 1937 by Edna C. Rex. It's a fascinating mix of drawing media—pencil sketch, colored pencil and watercolor, giving us a very unique rendering of this particular item. Editor: Edna C. Rex, I feel like this artwork represents more than just fabric and dye! It speaks to repressed desires, to a woman defined by these delicate, confining frills... See, this seemingly mundane rendering of clothing is dripping with implied narrative. The very choice to meticulously capture the delicate details—the ruffles, the buttons, the cinched waistline—all hint at the social constraints of the time. Or maybe the sketch underneath? It is another version of the same image. Or another memory that cannot get visualized in reality! Curator: Absolutely. It’s easy to see garments simply as, well, garments, but they’re powerful markers of identity, class, and even personal aspiration. In the 1930s, dress played a pivotal role in shaping a woman's public image, influencing how she was perceived within the social and economic landscape. It speaks about the relationship of a lady to be with elegance and simplicity. This watercolour rendering, especially one done as realistically as possible in a rather realist style, suggests the amount of thought given into what is seen or perceived in this kind of relationship. The choice of that specific color might play a part. Editor: True… it reminds me of sad sea shanties in a way. Almost ghostly, maybe that’s because the canvas remains unfinished! So delicate... Is there an element of sadness because it never made its way through development? That's also where its captivating beauty lives! Curator: Perhaps. The unrealized potential. An artwork like "Blouse" encourages us to see beyond the surface, and see social identity instead, while being also a memory of fashion from the past and it also illustrates its historical impact through fashion in 1930s! Editor: Absolutely! A seemingly simple watercolor holds so much more. I now see its real charm lies not just in the beauty of the blouse, but in the echo of the times it evokes, in addition to the ghostlike incompleteness... The power of the suggestion!