The woman without shadow (Costume for the wet nurse) 1919

Alfred Roller conjured this ink drawing of the wet nurse costume for ‘The Woman Without a Shadow’ around 1919. I imagine the image emerging through dense layers of hatching; the artist almost wrestling with the pen to render the fabric’s textures and the character's anxiety. I feel for Roller, trying to capture the essence of a character who is both spectral and maternal. You can see him here, layering the lines to create this hooded figure. What was he thinking when he made the wet nurse's hands so prominent, so expressive? Do they reach out in supplication, or ward off some unseen threat? The lines are so fine and yet so full of dark emotion. Like other painters of the era, he’s experimenting with the emotional possibilities of costume. It’s like we’re all in an ongoing conversation, trading ideas and inspiring each other to push the boundaries of what painting can express. It’s a conversation that embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.