Figurehead: Naval Officer 1935 - 1942

Rosamond P. Gray made this watercolor of a Naval Officer, we're not sure exactly when. Look at the way she’s built up the paint, almost like a sculptor would build up clay. You can see where she’s let the washes dry and then added layers on top. It's like a slow reveal. The colors are muted, a kind of aged palette, which really suits the subject. It’s like looking at a faded photograph. It gives it this ghostly, historical feel. Notice how the blues in his coat bleed into the paper, almost like the uniform is dissolving. And then there’s that texture on the face, like the paint has been scrubbed away in places. It's very affecting. It reminds me a little of some of Fairfield Porter’s portraits, that same quiet intensity, but with a touch more melancholy. It's a reminder that art is always in conversation. It's a beautiful piece, full of subtle gestures and unresolved questions.