Money Vest c. 1939

Rose Campbell-Gerke made this drawing of a money vest, using watercolor, at an unknown date. The first thing that grabs me here is the detail - it's not just a quick sketch, but a real study of form. Look at how she renders the yellow-ish pockets, the way the paint suggests depth and volume. This isn't just about depicting an object; it's about understanding the way light falls on it, the way material wrinkles and folds. I like how she adds little red details too, like the stitches. The straps, the buckles, all rendered with such care. You get the sense that Campbell-Gerke was interested in the process of seeing, of really looking. It reminds me a bit of some of the early American modernists, like Charles Demuth, who found beauty in everyday objects. It's a beautiful image.