Très Parisien, 1926, No. 2, Pl. 9: - CONFIDENCE 1926

This fashion plate entitled CONFIDENCE was made by G-P. Joumard in 1926, with a printmaking process that allows for a graphic rendering of the clothing. The flat planes of color and bold outlines remind me that art-making, at its heart, is a series of decisions. There's a real economy of means here that I find striking. Look at the way Joumard uses color to define form, like the salmon-colored blouse of the standing figure. That choice makes her pop. The same goes for the seated woman's blue hat. What I love is the way that the lines, the composition, and the negative space all contribute to the overall sense of chic confidence that the image conveys. Joumard's work reminds me a bit of Erté, the famous Art Deco artist, because both artists understood how to create a sense of glamour and sophistication with just a few well-placed lines and colors. In art, like in fashion, it's all about creating a mood, a feeling, an attitude.