Wedding Dress c. 1938

Catherine Fowler created this wedding dress design using watercolor and graphite. Rather than oil on canvas, she worked with paper, a more ephemeral, accessible material. Consider the artistry involved in illustrating such a garment. The artist’s hand meticulously renders every frill and fold, the soft sheen of the fabric. Note the puff sleeves and full skirt, hallmarks of mid-19th-century fashion. The amount of fabric speaks to a society where dress communicated social status. A dress like this would have been expensive, indicating wealth. Fowler's choice of watercolor allows a delicacy that mirrors the gown itself. But this work also speaks to the world of fashion design – a realm often undervalued despite its artistic and economic significance. This piece asks us to consider the skilled labor involved in both the making and the representation of clothing. It blurs the lines between fine art, craft, and the everyday.