Fashion Doll c. 1937

Gwyneth King made this watercolor, Fashion Doll, sometime during her long life. Look closely at the way the colors aren’t blended, but kind of sit next to each other, separate. It reminds me that artmaking is about decisions. Each choice nudges the work in a new direction, and the artist has to keep responding. The actual paint job here is delicate. It’s thin, like King was being economical with her materials. In the way she’s depicted the doll’s dress, you get a real sense of fabric. I keep coming back to the doll’s expression, which is both vacant and knowing. The ruffly sleeves are great too. The way she suggests volume with just a few strokes is really skillful. King’s loose style reminds me a little bit of Florine Stettheimer, another artist with a great eye for the nuances of the social world. Art’s not about answers; it’s about posing good questions.