Boy's Hat c. 1936

Mary E. Humes made this drawing of a boy's hat, sometime between 1855 and 1995, with what looks like watercolor or a similar medium on paper. I love how the sketchiness of the marks captures the texture of the straw. The color palette is limited to these soft, earthy tones. It’s really about the process of rendering form through delicate shading. Notice how the strokes that build the hat’s cylindrical form are directional, almost like how the straw would weave around and around. There’s a real sense of care and attention to detail, especially in the tassel hanging off the side, it’s not just a representation but a study of light and shadow. This piece reminds me a little of Fairfield Porter, especially in how he was able to find extraordinary beauty in the ordinary, domestic objects around him. Art isn’t about grand statements all the time, it’s also about slowing down, looking closely, and finding the poetry in a simple hat.