Quaker Man's Hat c. 1938

Henry De Wolfe made this drawing of a Quaker Man’s Hat sometime between 1855 and 1995. The whole thing, hat and background, is rendered in hushed, muted tones. It’s a simple image, but like all drawings, it has a real presence. I wonder, was the artist also a Quaker? What was his relationship to the man who wore this hat? Was the man a friend, a family member, or even the artist himself? Did he draw it from life or memory? The drawing is so subtle and quiet, but it also feels incredibly intimate. As a painter myself, I’m always so interested in what draws one person to depict another. What is it that makes us want to capture someone else's likeness? It’s a magic trick that we artists have been performing for millennia.