Copper-toed Child's Shoe c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolour painting of a Copper-toed Child's Shoe at an unknown date. Look at the subtle washes and stippling, the way that she builds up the forms of these shoes with such delicate layers. There is something about the rendering of these boots – these objects once worn, scuffed, and walked in - that is very moving. Claflin has chosen a muted, almost melancholic palette, and yet she lingers over the details, the texture of the leather, the shine of the copper toe. Consider the sole of the shoe, isolated from its partner, presented to us like an archeological find. It is an index of a lost presence, a reminder of time's passage. Painters like Giorgio Morandi come to mind, the way he also found profound beauty in the quiet observation of everyday objects. Art is always in conversation with itself, and this simple, tender painting speaks volumes.