Gingham Doll c. 1938

William Frank made this watercolor of a Gingham Doll sometime in the first half of the 20th century, and it's a fascinating example of how art can turn the mundane into something quite compelling. The doll's dress is rendered in a soft pink, with intricate patterns that mimic the look of gingham, and the way Frank uses watercolor gives the fabric a delicate, almost translucent quality. Look closely, you'll notice the tiny details – the subtle shading, the carefully placed highlights – all of which suggest a deep engagement with the materiality of the doll itself. It is as if Frank is trying to capture not just the appearance but also the essence of this humble object. I’m reminded of Fairfield Porter's domestic scenes. Like Porter, Frank finds beauty in the everyday, elevating the ordinary to something worthy of our attention and contemplation. And just as Porter blurred the lines between abstraction and representation, Frank's doll exists in a space between the real and the imagined, inviting us to question our assumptions about art, value, and the things we choose to cherish.