Doll - "Aggie" c. 1937

Eugene Croe made this watercolour painting of a doll called “Aggie," and looking at it, I'm struck by how the artist builds up the image bit by bit, like piecing together a quilt. There's a tenderness in the way Croe captures the doll’s textures and patterns. See the soft blue of her dress, with these delicate gingham details at the edges? The watercolour is thin, washy, almost like a memory. But then, on the apron, there’s this bold, graphic black linework that pops out, it’s almost like seeing an image within an image. And the dolls face! A few simple lines describe it. It reminds me a little of the work of Bill Traylor, another artist who found beauty in the everyday. Neither artist is too concerned with perfection, but with capturing the essence of something. Croe’s “Aggie” invites us to slow down, to appreciate the simple pleasures, and to find joy in the process of seeing.