HITTY by Rachel Field 1929

Dorothy Lathrop made this illustration for the novel HITTY with who knows what kind of medium, probably gouache or watercolor, the kind of thing that disappears into the paper. The painting is all about the surface, that kind of matte paper feel. The colors are muted, everything’s kind of blending together. This is not about separation, it's more about trying to get something to cohere. You notice how the reds and greens become a kind of brown-black in the shadows? The doll herself has a kind of waxy quality. The details are simple, like the curve of her hair or the shape of her dress, they speak to how less can be more when you know what you're doing. Lathrop’s work reminds me of Edward Gorey, that similar focus on simple lines that tell a whole story. With Lathrop there's a certain gentleness that’s not sentimental; it's just matter-of-fact. Art can be a real conversation across time.