Doll - "Abigail" c. 1937

Eugene Croe rendered this doll, Abigail, in paint. The doll, adorned in a brown dress with frills and a lace collar, is reminiscent of a bygone era. Dolls, throughout history, have been more than mere playthings; they embody cultural ideals and societal values. Consider, for instance, the ancient funerary dolls of Egypt, entombed with the deceased, mirroring a belief in an afterlife populated by familiar figures. The doll-like figure is a recurring motif through time, often reflecting our anxieties and desires regarding control and autonomy. We find echoes of Abigail in the uncanny automatons of the Enlightenment, mechanical figures crafted to mimic life, sparking philosophical debates about the nature of consciousness. Dolls, in their silent, watchful presence, can tap into our deepest fears and fantasies, engaging us on a primal, subconscious level. Like the symbols embedded within them, the cultural significance of dolls has gone through a cyclical progression, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings.