Wooden Jointed Doll c. 1936

Jane Iverson made this painting of a doll, we don’t know when or where, but it doesn’t really matter, does it? The doll is kind of stiff, but Iverson's brushwork is loose. The folds in the skirt are indicated with these broad, fluid strokes, a contrast to the black of the corset which is more defined. I wonder what Iverson was thinking as she painted this. It has a quiet surrealism about it, a frozen moment. The white of the paper peeks through in places, especially around the edges. The yellow of the dress feels warm, like sunlight, but also a little faded. I can see the ghost of a drawing underneath the paint, the pentimenti, they speak to the process. I like the way the dark, blocky feet of the doll just peek out from under the voluminous skirt. This painting reminds me a little of Florine Stettheimer, who also had a knack for imbuing her paintings with a sense of quiet domestic unease. What is certain is that Iverson's doll isn't trying to please. It's just there, being itself, and that's more than enough.