Walking Doll c. 1936

Jane Iverson’s “Walking Doll” is made with watercolor and graphite on paper. I can almost feel Iverson figuring things out as she went along, experimenting with washes of color, letting the water do its thing, yet still so carefully rendering the doll. I’m thinking about how much time the artist must have spent with the doll, observing it from every angle to get a full understanding of how the walking mechanism works. I can almost feel her careful hand rendering the lacy fabric and doll-like features with so much precision! The doll itself looks a little unsteady, like it might fall over at any moment, but Iverson has captured its essence, that human quality that makes it more than just a plaything. It reminds me that we are all just walking dolls, trying to find our footing in the world.