Old Women and Girl c. 1944

Editor: This is William Roberts' "Old Women and Girl," made with watercolor and pencil. There's something so geometrically grounded about it. The figures seem suspended in amber, and I wonder, what’s going on here? What do you see? Curator: It's a lovely piece, isn't it? Roberts always had a knack for freezing moments. The grid underneath lends a strange sense of order, almost as if he's dissecting a memory. Notice how the figures are slightly distorted, like reflections in an old mirror. Is it warmth or melancholy that you feel? Editor: Melancholy, definitely. Curator: I find both, like a half-remembered dream. It makes you wonder about the stories we carry, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at a simple family portrait the same way again.