Pocket Case or Reticule c. 1936

Rosalia Lane made this watercolour and graphite rendering of a pocket case or reticule sometime in her lifetime, which spanned from the late 19th century all the way to the late 20th century. I love this drawing. It feels like a daydream. Lane seems to be conjuring these objects, like memories almost. The reticule on the left is so detailed, a kind of abundance of flowers and ribbons. I wonder if she had one like it, or wanted one, or maybe she was just riffing on the idea of it, letting her imagination wander as she drew. The pocket case on the right seems more like a ghostly echo, as if one is reflecting on another. And that little scene in the middle! It’s like she’s made her own personal hieroglyph, full of mysterious, private meanings.