Gazette du Bon Ton, 1923, No. 1, Pl. IV : Battue d'automn (...) 1923

Editor: We’re looking at “Battue d’automne” by Bernard Boutet de Monvel, a print from 1923 in the Art Deco style, likely a pochoir. It feels very… poised, almost staged. The figures seem carefully arranged in this autumn landscape. How do you interpret this work, considering its visual composition? Curator: Indeed. The aesthetic impact relies heavily on its calculated arrangement of forms. Notice how the figures, while seemingly participating in a hunt, are meticulously placed within the frame. Observe the verticality established by the slender birch trees and the human figures, counterpointed by the implied horizontal lines of the rifles. Do you perceive a certain tension between representation and design? Editor: I do see that tension. It's like the artist is more interested in how it looks than how real it feels. There is this emphasis on clean lines. The perspective feels a bit flattened. Curator: Precisely. This flattening and simplification are hallmarks of Art Deco. It favours stylized representation over naturalistic depiction. It appears that Boutet de Monvel uses line to construct form in tandem with watercolour washes of very subdued browns, blues, and greens to set a cool, elegant, but shallow space. Also, observe how he constrains form within a well-defined black border within the larger page. All serve to create this tension that prioritizes design over naturalistic representation. Editor: So, even a genre scene like a hunting party can be an exploration of form and line? Curator: Most certainly. The subject matter is merely a vehicle through which the artist explores these aesthetic concerns, resulting in a visually striking and thoroughly modern composition. Editor: This has definitely shifted my perspective, seeing it more as a designed object than just a picture. Curator: Ultimately, our experience comes through this crafted visual framework, a testament to the power of pure, visual formalism.