Très Parisien, 1923, No 6: 13.- LES FLEURS. - Deux jolies robes,... 1923

J. Dory made this fashion plate in 1923, I imagine, with lithographic ink on paper. The first thing I notice is that the design is crisp and clear. It’s like Dory knew exactly what they wanted to express. But maybe not. Maybe, like me, they began with just a few lines, a vague idea, then adjusted and refined as they went, letting the image slowly come into being. The colors are bold: the yellow dress on the left, with its quirky, palm-like motifs, contrasts with the soft lilac of the dress to the right. I love the way the black outlines pop. I wonder if Dory was thinking about Cubism, about breaking down forms and putting them back together in unexpected ways. Or maybe they were just trying to capture the energy of Paris, the excitement of a new era. Either way, this work speaks to me. It makes me want to pick up a brush and see what happens, to let my own ideas bloom on the canvas.