Doll's Bonnet c. 1939

Cora Parker made this watercolor on paper, "Doll's Bonnet," and I can imagine her delighting in the sheer simplicity of the bonnet’s form. The paint is thinned and barely there. It’s more like a whisper, a soft breath on the paper. You can almost feel the delicacy of the fabric, its gentle folds and curves rendered with such tenderness. It feels like she is not just depicting an object, but a memory, an emotion tied to childhood. I think of the artist Gwen John and her subtle tones; the quiet, contemplative nature of her painting feels aligned with Parker. Both artists were engaging in an act of intimate observation. They were sharing an almost secret world with the viewer. This little bonnet becomes a portal, a gateway to a world of nostalgia and imagination. It’s an invitation to slow down, to look closely, and to find beauty in the everyday.