Doll c. 1937

Erwin Stenzel made this drawing of a doll, we don't know when. The flat application of watercolor gives it a graphic, almost folk-arty feel, which I think is just great. Look closely, and you can see the weave of the doll's dress picked out with a surprising amount of detail. The way the blue, white, and black grid shimmers against the pale ground makes me think of the paintings of Agnes Martin, which goes to show that there's always something interesting going on when artists look at other artists. The pink cheeks are a lovely detail, reminiscent of a child’s toy. Stenzel's doll embodies a kind of handmade quality that I think a lot of artists, including myself, are always chasing. You can imagine the artist in conversation with their subject, trying to bring it to life on the page. Like all good art, it's a process of discovery.