Dress c. 1936

Charles Criswell painted this *Dress*, we don’t know exactly when, using watercolor and graphite on paper. It looks like it was made with a lot of love and attention to detail. The dress has an almost dreamlike quality, with its bold dark blue and pastel pink floral motifs. You can tell that Criswell really enjoyed painting the dress, getting lost in the swirls of color and pattern. I wonder if he was thinking of a specific person when he made it, or if it was simply an act of imagination? I find myself thinking about the way that painters like Criswell play with texture, using the thin washes of watercolor to create a sense of depth and movement. It reminds me of the work of other artists who are interested in fashion, like Yves Saint Laurent, but Criswell brings his own unique vision to the subject. Ultimately, painting is a form of conversation, with artists borrowing and building upon each other's ideas across generations. It’s a language all its own, full of infinite possibilities.