Collar c. 1936

Elizabeth Moutal created ‘Collar,’ an undated watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper. Moutal, born in Guatemala, later moved to the United States, her experience as a woman and immigrant is critical to understanding her body of work. This image of a collar is, on the surface, quiet and still. Yet, a collar speaks to formality, constraint, and perhaps even gendered expectations. Think about the times in which Moutal was working. What did it mean to be a woman during this time? What social “collar” was she expected to wear? In its stillness, this image invites us to consider the weight and the expectation of such strictures. In rendering the collar in watercolor, Moutal softens it, asking us to consider what it might mean to live outside of those constraints. The work offers not only a critique but also a moment of gentle contemplation, inviting us to reflect on the roles we play and the identities we inhabit.