Valentine c. 1941

Here's Stella Mosher's 'Valentine', made with watercolor on paper. I can only imagine Stella Mosher hunched over this tiny detailed valentine! It's so charming and intricate; the central image resembles an eternal flame within a decorative border, surrounded by romantic poetry. Did she cut the paper herself? Did she labor over it in her studio, or kitchen table, for hours? I feel like the making of this valentine must have been a true labor of love, a tangible expression of her feelings. I wonder if she was thinking of similar artists while she painted, or just the person this painting was for. Like all artworks, this piece is having a conversation with other Valentines, and also reaching back to illuminated manuscripts and other devotional images. Mosher's 'Valentine' embodies painting's unique capacity to blur the lines between intention, feeling, and meaning. What do you think?