Wedding Dress c. 1937

Arelia Arbo made this watercolor and graphite drawing, Wedding Dress, sometime in the 20th century, though we don't know exactly when. It's interesting to see the way she renders the dress in full color, with such care to the pattern of the fabric, and then gives us a ghostly, linear version right next door. The dress itself is a flurry of soft, washy hues. It’s like Arbo is building up the form through layers and layers of delicate marks. I love how you can see the ghost of the graphite lines underneath the watercolor, peeking through. It’s a reminder of the work, the process, the decisions that go into making an image. Notice how the weight of the skirt is suggested through denser marks, while the upper part of the dress is lighter, almost floating. For me, this piece shares a certain sensibility with the work of Florine Stettheimer, especially in its delicate touch and focus on intimate, domestic subjects. These are images that invite us into a world of personal reverie.