Doll 1935 - 1942

Florence Milto made this double portrait of her doll using what looks like pen and watercolour on paper. It's process-oriented, you can see every stroke, every decision. I love the texture. Milto doesn't hide the marks; she lets the cross-hatching on the doll’s dress define its form. It’s like she's thinking out loud on the page. The colours, too, are muted, almost dreamlike, which gives the doll a kind of quiet presence, like a memory. It reminds me of an Agnes Martin painting in its gentle, understated way. That little patch of darker colour peeking out from under the doll's skirt is fascinating. It's like a secret, adding depth and mystery to the whole image. It's the kind of detail that makes you want to keep looking, keep wondering. For me, it's not just about the doll, but about Milto's way of seeing, of translating the world around her into something deeply personal.