Bonnet c. 1941

Stella Mosher made this drawing of two bonnets, location and date unknown, using what looks like graphite and watercolor. There’s something so intimate about these bonnets. The way Mosher captures the delicate lace and the soft folds of the fabric, you can almost feel the texture. The one on the left, with its blue floral adornments, has a particularly charming touch. Mosher’s layering of translucent washes makes the image shimmer, especially in the ribbons, which seem to dissolve into the ground. The precision of the rendering is something to behold, and reminds me of the work of Isabella Stewart Gardner, who also had a keen eye for detail and a passion for capturing the beauty of everyday objects. Both artists transform the ordinary into something extraordinary, inviting us to pause and appreciate the simple elegance of life. Art is like that, it's about the ongoing conversation, it's ambiguous and is up for endless interpretations.