Cap c. 1936

This delicate watercolour of a ‘Cap’ was made by Jessie M. Benge, who lived between 1855 and 1995. Imagine Jessie perched at her desk, her brow furrowed in concentration. The brushstrokes are so light, almost hesitant, like a whisper on paper. You know, it's funny how an object, a humble cap, can become a vessel for so much. Look at the way she's rendered the lace – each tiny rose and leaf is painstakingly traced, yet there's a looseness to it, an appreciation of imperfection. And that bow, perched jauntily atop the cap, is bursting with life. The striped pattern hints at movement, and the way the colours blend suggests a playful energy. I wonder what Jessie was thinking as she painted this. Was she dreaming of fancy parties, or quiet moments spent stitching by the fire? Perhaps it's a tribute to some fabric she had. Whatever the reason, I like to think of her as part of a long line of artists, each one passing the brush, and in this case the needle, to the next, each one inviting us to see the world in a slightly different way.