Embroidered Jacket 1935 - 1942

Isabelle De Strange made this drawing of an embroidered jacket at an unknown date, using pen and ink and watercolor on paper. Look at the line work. You can imagine her focusing intently, carefully tracing the intricate patterns with her pen. I can imagine her thinking: How can I capture the delicacy and detail of this embroidery? It's not just about representation, but also about feeling. The top jacket is highly decorative, whereas the jackets below are simplified and linear. I appreciate how De Strange uses her drawing as a way to understand and explore the craft of embroidery. The act of drawing becomes a form of translation, where the texture and depth of the fabric are rendered through lines and shading. As painters, like Isabelle, we are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.