Hat c. 1937

Ruth M. Barnes made this painting, simply titled 'Hat', with watercolors, and look, she signed her name right there in the corner! I wonder what it was like to make a painting like this? What was she thinking about as she meticulously applied the colors and details? There's something about the textures here that really intrigues me, the delicate frills of black lace, the weave of the hat itself, not to mention the silkiness of that bow. It's thin paint, and it really gets into the weave of the paper, so you can see the texture beneath. The pink is so vibrant, but it's carefully contained with the artist's clear, controlled mark-making. It reminds me that every artist is constantly building on what came before, borrowing, responding, and adding to the conversation. You might have seen hats like this in impressionist paintings. They knew something about beauty that we're still chasing today.