Like her siblings, Ann Wyeth McCoy apprenticed in art with her father. She stayed close to the family home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, marrying fellow artist John McCoy. 
 
In this painting, Ann Wyeth McCoy uses a watercolor technique called drybrush. Watercolor is a type of painting pigment activated in water and applied to paper. Artists achieve various effects by managing how much water is used. Drybrush is exactly like it sounds. The artist uses a dry brush with a minimal amount of wet pigment and no water on the paper, leaving a darker color and a greater sense of texture than do more traditional watercolor techniques.
 
This somewhat unusual and sparse image implies the presence of the person gazing at the scene, perhaps through the door or window of her home. We can imagine her pausing in motion, distracted for a moment from all the activity of the day by the beauty of these blooms. We can imagine her resting in thought before this scene. In this way, Hollyhocks is as much a portrait of the inner self as it is a simple domestic landscape.

Share your voice to help the Museum create the next long-term exhibition from the Diamond M Collection when it returns in 2024 to the Diamond M galleries. Your responses will be used to explore possible exhibition themes and artworks for future display. 
 
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