Indian Dolls 1936

Jane Iverson made this watercolor painting, Indian Dolls, sometime in the 20th century, and it's so interesting how she approaches the subject. There’s a real flatness to the picture, right? Iverson's not trying to trick us with perspective. Instead, she lets the colors and the details of the dolls’ costumes do the talking. The reds really pop, and then you notice the intricate patterns and textures she's captured. It's like she’s saying, “Look at these objects, really look,” and inviting us to appreciate the craft and care that went into making them. Take the doll on the left, with its arms crossed. The way Iverson renders the layering of fabrics, the contrast of the matte reds with the shiny, silvery trim – it’s all about surface and texture. It reminds me a bit of some of Marsden Hartley’s folk art portraits, where the subject is less about likeness and more about presence, about capturing the essence of a thing. Ultimately, Iverson's dolls aren't just dolls, they're a way of seeing and thinking about cultural objects.