Man's Suit c. 1936

Curator: Here we have Charles Criswell’s “Man’s Suit,” dating back to about 1936. It's rendered in watercolor and drawing, giving it a unique textured feel. What’s your first impression? Editor: Eerily disembodied. It gives me the sense of a ghost suddenly remembering what it used to wear when it was alive! Curator: It does possess an absent quality. But let's think about the construction – the labor implied. A suit like this represented a considerable investment of time, materials, and skill. Tailors spent hours meticulously crafting such garments. Editor: That makes me think, maybe this is like a stage prop. Imagine the countless actors who donned this suit—what stories it could tell from the theater. Curator: It's an intriguing point to ponder, the relationship between garment and wearer. How social status was both signaled and reinforced through these highly structured garments. It also begs us to remember the role of material culture. Editor: What about that color? The shade of crimson of the coat is luxurious, hinting at an extravagance perhaps not fully achieved. Makes one think of longing and aspirational dreams in the thirties. Curator: Precisely, a carefully chosen watercolor capturing a very specific desire. Think of how fabrics were traded and valued then. And the availability of colors due to advancements in dyes...it all points to significant material processes that impacted artistic choice. Editor: To me, it is very sad. Is it mourning clothes, maybe? Like those outfits that we just hang waiting for…someone who will never wear them again. A beautiful memorial maybe? Curator: Well, in the context of genre painting which focused on depicting everyday life, perhaps this image spoke more broadly to aspirational fashion? To dreams of upward mobility and societal presentation. Editor: Perhaps… Ultimately this makes us reflect on what we are dressing up, now… To what extent does it tell a story or hides another instead? Curator: Indeed. From production processes to societal roles this "Man's Suit" whispers many narratives around consumption, aspiration and the value placed upon self-presentation.