Child's Grave with Hand Made Cross of Wood c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolor of a child’s grave at an unknown date. It’s a heartbreaking image, but there's something resilient about the artist's hand. The colors are muted, like faded memories, yet the simple marks create a scene both tender and stark. Look at the cross, its gentle tilt and the way the pink flowers soften the hard wood. There's a directness here, a rawness in the unblended washes of color, which reminds me of folk art. The paint is thin, almost translucent, letting the paper breathe, just as the child’s spirit has been released. The boxy grave is full of rough, dry sand, and on top sits a recycled tin can. The detail of the brand name suggests a poignant story of loss and remembrance. Claflin’s approach reminds me of Agnes Martin, in its quiet, meditative quality, though her subject matter is of course quite different. Like Martin, Claflin invites us to contemplate the delicate balance between fragility and strength, loss and hope. Art is, after all, a conversation about our shared human experience.