Cape c. 1936

Catherine Fowler’s ‘Cape’ drawing presents a striking study in form and composition, rendered with watercolor and graphite on paper. The dominant burgundy hue of the cape contrasts with the pale, almost ghostly, outline of a second cape, creating a layered visual experience. The solid form of the primary cape, with its deep color and sharply defined vertical pleats, exudes a sense of weight and presence, while the secondary outline suggests a more ethereal or conceptual dimension. This contrast invites us to consider the interplay between reality and representation, presence and absence. The drawing employs a semiotic system of signs, where the cape itself becomes a symbol of concealment or transformation. The fringe detail at the cape's upper edge adds a tactile element. It interrupts the smooth lines of the design and introduces a sense of richness. This work destabilizes the fixed meanings typically associated with fashion illustration by using formal elements to evoke deeper considerations about materiality and the structure of representation itself.