Brooch c. 1936

Ellen Duncan’s watercolor drawing presents a bejeweled brooch. What strikes me is how this image, perhaps intended as a record, flirts with the realm of pure invention. Look at how the gold is rendered. It's not just flat color but a constellation of tiny strokes, catching the light with an almost feverish energy. The gems—emeralds, rubies, pearls—are dollops of pure, unblended color. The overall effect is both decorative and somehow raw. I keep thinking about the line, the way it wavers and thickens, as if Duncan were tracing not just the object but also the very act of seeing. It reminds me a little of Alfred Jensen, in the way it manages to be both a representation and a diagram of thought. I think that art is more of a conversation, and less of a statement.