Silk Taffeta Costume c. 1938

Sarah F. Williams made this lovely silk taffeta costume design using graphite and watercolor. I can just imagine Sarah at her drawing board, carefully layering the watercolor to get that subtle sheen on the silk, almost like a blush! And then those little details, like the grape vines. I wonder, was she thinking of a costume for a play, or just letting her imagination run wild? As a painter, you get to know a lot about what other painters are up to. Here, I can see her thinking about texture and form, trying to capture how the fabric would drape and move. That's what all painters do, really, translate the world onto a flat surface, and make it sing! This piece feels like a sweet little poem, doesn't it? A quiet conversation between Sarah and the long history of image-makers.