Street Dress c. 1937

Lucien Verbeke made this drawing of a dress, with pencil on paper. The artist, who worked in the late 19th and early 20th century, chose to depict a fashion design in this painstaking way. What's interesting is the relationship between the skilled labor involved in producing the garment itself, and the labor of representing it here, on paper. The drawing captures not only the dress's appearance, but also the textures of the materials, like the sheen of satin, and the intricate patterns that adorn its surface. The techniques of weaving and needlework involved in the making of such a garment are here translated into a graphic medium. This piece invites us to reflect on the hierarchy between so-called high art and design. Verbeke asks us to reconsider the value we place on both.