Doll: Black Mama c. 1938

Jacob Gielens made this study of a doll, entitled “Black Mama,” using watercolour, and the result is utterly charming. I can imagine Gielens, sitting with his paints, carefully observing every detail, from the plaid fabric of the dress to the delicate bow on her head, thinking that painting is another way of making. The way the doll’s skirt is lifted, revealing her little legs and shoes, adds a sense of playfulness to the composition. You can sense Gielen’s joy in painting all those intricate layers of fabric! The doll is beautifully rendered, her face so expressive. You can almost feel Gielen’s affection for his subject through the way he paints her. The way artists look at objects and make studies is not really so different from what we do today. We are all in an ongoing conversation with the past. Painting, like any artistic expression, allows for multiple interpretations, encouraging us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.