Gazette du Bon Ton, 2e année, No. 8, 9, p. 26. c. 1913

This is "Gazette du Bon Ton, 2e année, No. 8, 9, p. 26," by George Barbier. A super simple drawing of a woman and a shoe. The lines are so clean. It's a really nice example of a purely graphic way of working, where the texture of the paper and the starkness of the line are really all you need. Take a look at the lower part of the dress. See how the lines create a series of blocks? How they give a three dimensional effect without any shading at all? It's so economical. Like he's using only what's essential to create a sense of depth and form. Barbier’s aesthetic is all about reduction and distillation, much like Matisse. You could also see a connection to the reductive flatness of Warhol’s line drawings later in the century. All three of them are so good, aren't they? It just shows how art is always talking to itself, echoing and reinterpreting, always new.