Muslin Dress 1935 - 1942

This watercolour painting of a dress was made by an anonymous artist, location unknown. The palette is muted, almost apologetic, and the rendering is so delicate. It feels like the artist is gently coaxing the image into existence, one tiny floral sprig at a time. I find myself focusing on one of those tiny sprigs, a pink one near the waist. It’s made of just a few brushstrokes, but it captures the essence of a flower, its delicate petals reaching for the sun. You can see the individual hairs of the brush. It’s like the artist is whispering a secret onto the page. There's a touch of folk art here, a sense of someone lovingly rendering the world around them with whatever materials are at hand. The dress reminds me a little of Balthus, in the sense of a certain quiet, domestic mystery. Of course, in both cases, we are left with more questions than answers, which is as it should be. Art is a conversation, not a lecture.