Les Douze Mois de l'Année: Thermidor 1919

Editor: Here we have "Les Douze Mois de l'Année: Thermidor," a watercolor piece made in 1919 by Marthe Romme. The stylized figure and strong lines feel so definitively Art Nouveau. What visual elements jump out to you in this composition? Curator: The interplay of geometric forms and linear patterns is most striking. Observe the rhythmic repetition of circles in the figure’s garment against the stark grid of the floor. Note too how those linear perspectives converge upon the stylized rendering of the female figure. Editor: Yes, I notice how the geometric elements pull my eye toward her. Do you think Romme intentionally used this to draw attention to the figure? Curator: Quite possibly. Consider the structural composition. The stark black backdrop populated with subtle starlight serves as a grounding canvas against the bold, forward projection of our costumed dancer, emphasizing not just *what* we see, but *how* we perceive this particular placement within a constructed plane. Romme is using this compositional element to signal thematic priorities, too. Editor: That makes sense! So the sharp lines and shapes emphasize the dancer in the image because the other parts fade to the background. Curator: Precisely. What effect does that flattening have, then, upon your reading of the implied subject here? Editor: I hadn’t really considered the subject like that, but viewing the shapes within it emphasizes this symbolic interpretation to me! Curator: The flattened perspective reframes narrative possibility here. The artist constructs the figure, she isn’t replicating perceived visual information of it. What new observations might we derive when the object is perceived as concept rather than fact?