Man's Vest 1935 - 1942

This delicate watercolor of a man’s vest was made by Lillian Causey, though we don’t know exactly when. It makes me think about the quiet act of observation, the artist’s focus on the details of embroidery, and the muted palette, almost a whisper of color. I imagine Causey carefully studying the original garment, tracing its lines, and meticulously replicating the decorative motifs, all those tiny flourishes which populate the surface. What was she thinking as she painted each little squiggle and dot? Was she interested in fashion, in history, in the stories that clothes can tell? This isn’t just a representation of a vest, it’s a meditation on craft, on the way that a simple object can be imbued with meaning through the labor of the hand. In a way, it's like painting itself—each brushstroke a tiny act of devotion, a small gesture that accumulates to create a larger whole. And it makes you wonder about the vest and who might have worn it, and what their story was.