Doll - "Hepzibah" c. 1939

This is Josephine Romano's doll "Hepzibah," and it's rendered with delicate watercolors on paper. The first thing I notice is the warm, orangey-yellow dress with its puffed sleeves, it seems both delicate and cartoonish, all at once. I can almost imagine Romano at her table, carefully building up those transparent layers, one on top of the other, to create the illusion of fabric. It’s interesting to think about how this little drawing exists somewhere between a portrait, a fashion plate, and a paper doll. Was it a prototype? A presentation? I wonder if Romano was thinking about the way clothes define us, or maybe she was just playing, letting the colors and textures guide her hand, creating this lovely lady with those playful proportions. It makes me think about the work of other artists who explore similar themes of identity and representation through clothing and portraiture. We are all in conversation, aren't we? With our hands, and minds, across time.