Coin Purse c. 1936

Gladys Cook made this watercolor of a coin purse, and the way she’s handled the materials is just so endearing. The marks aren’t labored, but they aren’t dashed off either. I love the way she renders the body of the purse with an almost pointillist effect. These tiny white dots make the object seem so tactile, as if you could reach out and feel the texture of the beads. And see how the red gradually fades to pink in the center? It gives the purse a certain luminosity, like it’s glowing from within. It’s like she’s trying to capture not just what the purse looks like, but how it feels to hold it, how the light plays on its surface. It's reminiscent of the work of someone like Agnes Martin. Both artists share a similar sense of delicacy. Ultimately this piece invites us to slow down, observe closely, and appreciate the beauty in the everyday.