Wooden Jointed Doll c. 1936

Jane Iverson made this painting of a doll, sometime in the 20th century, using watercolor. Look at how the pigment sits on the surface, almost staining the paper. I can imagine her, brush in hand, trying to capture the essence of this little figure. It makes me think about the relationship between the artist and the model. Does she feel a connection to the doll? Is the doll a stand-in for a person? The painting seems to want to hold onto the doll’s secrets. I’m drawn to the way Iverson uses color, especially in the doll’s yellow dress. It's not just one flat tone; there are gradients and shifts, creating depth and volume. See how the brushstrokes almost mimic the folds and gathers of the fabric? That kind of mark-making really animates the whole composition, and it is very 'painterly'—I can relate! It puts her in conversation with other figurative painters, but with her own quirky twist. In the end, it’s the artist's unique vision that shines through, inspiring us to see the world in new and unexpected ways.