Man's Suit c. 1937

Mary E. Humes made this watercolour of a man’s suit, in a style that reminds me of folk art, maybe she wanted it to look old? The olive-green coat and breeches feel meticulously rendered; the slightly wonky buttons and buckles give the game away. I can almost picture her, carefully applying each stroke, one by one. Was she thinking about who might have worn such a suit? There is an awkwardness that I just love about this piece: The strange flatness of the ruff at the neck, the linear sketch on the upper right, and the suit's empty form, like a ghost of a person. It’s like she is working something through. I feel the labor in the painting – both physical and mental. Like other artists, Humes leaves traces of her process, inviting us to engage with the painting not just as a representation, but as an experience. So much about painting is about seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.