Stockings c. 1937

Editor: This is Rosalia Lane’s drawing, "Stockings," created around 1937. It’s watercolor and drawing on paper. I am struck by the realism of the representation, how well it is rendered, and also find something mundane about it; still life of stockings doesn’t sound very exciting. What’s interesting to you about it? Curator: Its value resides precisely in what you describe: the meticulous articulation of form rendered through precise lines and the subtly modulated tonality of the watercolor. The artist asks us to examine the intricate pattern and the very idea of 'stockings.' Consider how the diagonal design and the longitudinal orientation generate a pictorial tension; note also how that tension is mitigated by the beige and gray which gives the composition its atmospheric effect and balances those directional forces. How does the formal presentation shift our perception? Editor: That's a great way to describe it! So, you are less concerned with the 'what' and more intrigued by 'how' the artwork presents itself? Curator: Precisely! The 'what' – a stocking – becomes secondary. Lane foregrounds the pictorial structure itself, turning an ordinary object into a complex visual exercise. She employs subtle design techniques, the repetition of forms, that invites us to look closely. Do you agree with this assessment of the function of line in "Stockings?" Editor: Definitely, paying close attention to detail makes the common interesting, highlighting a basic geometric system and patterns, which can easily be overlooked. I never thought of stockings like this before! Thank you! Curator: And I found fresh insight in reconsidering that careful observation gives everyday life deeper artistic significance.