Dress c. 1941

Winifred Gibbes made this watercolour painting of a dress on paper, but we don't know when. The colours are very gentle, but it's not tentative, I think she’s very clear about the subtle palette and how the fabric would catch the light. There’s a level of observation here that goes beyond the functional diagram of a garment. Look at the way she's handled the rendering of the sleeves, how those big puffed shapes are built up with thin washes of colour, with the darker tones accentuating the folds and creases of the fabric. It's so delicate! It's like she's not just painting a dress, but capturing the ephemeral quality of light as it plays across its surface. There’s a real attention to detail in the rendering of the textures and materials, from the sheen of the satin to the matte finish of the ribbon trim. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint's diagrams, but with an added layer of attention to lived experience.