Modes et Manières d'Aujourd'hui, 1922, Pl. 4 : Amazone 1922 - 1923

Fernand Siméon made this print, 'Amazone,' in 1922 as part of a series on contemporary fashion, can you imagine? The palette is so restrained – mostly browns and creams – yet the world he creates feels lush and full of life, as if this ‘Amazone’ is coaxing us into her own personal illustrated world. The cross-hatching and detail in the rendering of the trees and the rider in the background create the feeling of depth and distance. I can just picture Siméon at his desk, carefully etching each line, building up the image layer by layer. There is a sense of humor here, a playfulness in the way he exaggerates the fashion of the time. Maybe he was sketching from real life, observing the stylish figures strolling through Parisian parks? Painters, printmakers, we’re all in conversation with each other, across time, borrowing and riffing and reinterpreting. And that’s what makes art so exciting – it’s an ongoing dialogue, a never-ending exploration of what it means to be human.