Dress c. 1940

Josephine Romano made this watercolour painting of a dress; probably in the mid-twentieth century. The dominant colour is pink, in varying tones. I imagine the act of painting it, the brush loaded with pigment, moving across the paper, sometimes wet-on-wet, other times dry brushing to build up textures and suggest form. I sympathize with Romano, picturing her perhaps as a young woman with a keen eye for detail, sketching and painting designs, dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. The paint is applied thinly, almost translucent in areas, allowing the paper to breathe. The overall effect is delicate and feminine, so that each brushstroke communicates a feeling of lightness, grace, and aspiration. It reminds me of other fashion illustrations from the era, but also the broader tradition of watercolour painting which embraces simplicity and fluidity. Artists are always in an ongoing dialogue, passing ideas back and forth like kids trading cards. Painting lets us embrace ambiguity, allowing multiple readings.