Baby's Cap c. 1937

Sylvia Dezon made this tender little drawing of a baby’s cap, in what looks like colored pencil on paper. It is mostly grey and white, the color of mist, and the light touch makes the image appear dreamlike, almost as if floating. I imagine Dezon, hunched over a desk, carefully rendering the soft curves and delicate ribbons, maybe thinking of the babies who would wear such bonnets, keeping them warm and safe. How tricky to capture the translucence of fabric, the gentle gathering and folds, and the sweet adornments – all in a limited palette. I think of Manet, and his love of a limited palette! It takes real looking, and real seeing. The small scale invites intimacy, a quiet moment of reflection. But also, I think about the artist’s hand – how Dezon attended to the material qualities of her medium, building up layers of delicate marks, much like a painter builds layers of paint. These humble, everyday objects, elevated by the artist’s attention, speak volumes about care, craft, and memory.