Child's Bonnet c. 1936

Mary E. Humes made this watercolor rendering of a child’s bonnet, using delicate brushwork to capture the sheen of the fabric and the soft drape of its ribbons. Watercolors are interesting. They have a reputation as the domain of amateurs, of being somehow less serious than oil paint or sculpture. But in fact, they require a great deal of skill. Unlike oils, watercolor is unforgiving. Each mark is permanent, building up layers of translucent color. It’s a medium especially suited to capturing light and atmosphere. You can see how Humes used the technique to evoke the texture of cloth, and the way that light falls across the bonnet. We don’t know whether Humes was an amateur artist or not. But what’s certain is that she, like many women of her time, would have been familiar with needlework and sewing. In this light, the rendering of the bonnet can be seen as not just a picture, but an act of knowing appreciation. It’s a kind of portrait, one that elevates a humble, homespun object. It reminds us that everyday things have their own kind of beauty, too.