Man's Suit c. 1936

Nancy Crimi made this watercolour, ‘Man’s Suit’, at an unknown date. The stippled texture is really interesting – it almost looks like she’s trying to capture the feel of the fabric, dot by dot. The colour palette is quite muted, but look at that vest! There’s something about the way she’s rendered the textures and patterns of the suit that makes it feel so tangible, so real. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric, the smoothness of the silk. It’s all about the physicality of the medium, the way she’s built up those layers of colour to create depth and form. It’s fascinating how Crimi focuses on the details, like the buttons on the cuffs or the delicate embroidery on the vest. It reminds me a bit of some of the fashion illustrations by Andy Warhol early in his career – that same attention to detail, that same love of line and form. Ultimately, it’s a piece that celebrates the joy of looking, the pleasure of seeing.