The Little Hat 

Ethel Léontine Gabain’s painting, "The Little Hat," uses traditional oil paints on canvas. The materials are conventional, but it’s the way Gabain handles them that's interesting. Look closely, and you’ll see how the brushstrokes are quite visible, almost like the painting is unfinished. The texture and the slightly muted colours give the artwork a raw, immediate feel. You get the sense of the artist capturing a fleeting moment. Gabain was part of a generation that questioned academic traditions. The directness of her painting, the way she allows the evidence of her process to remain visible, is quite modern. It’s less about the illusion of reality, and more about the act of painting itself. By emphasizing the ‘making’ of the image, Gabain is subtly acknowledging the labour involved in creating art. She reminds us that art is not just about the subject, but also the artist’s hand and eye.