Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Mai 1929, No. 105, 9e Année, p. 15 1929

This fashion plate was made by R. Drivon in 1929, sometime in May, and appeared in “Feuillets de l'élégance féminine.” I can just see the artist, Drivon, sitting at a table with delicate brushes and watercolor, carefully building up tone and line. I like to imagine the way the pale colors are laid down in translucent washes, one after the other. Look at the way the black ink defines the forms, so precise. It's almost like a coloring book, but with a sophisticated sense of light and shadow. The figures are so poised and elegant, really capturing the spirit of the era. I wonder if Drivon had a model or if they were just imagining the clothes. Fashion illustration is so different from painting a portrait, but both require a deep understanding of form and line. It's a fascinating intersection of art and commerce.