Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1913, No. 48 : Robe d'aprés-mid (...) 1913

This Parisian fashion plate by H. Robert Dammy was made in 1913 and shows a dress made of black velvet and green silk. Look at the sureness of those black lines, how they define and describe the gown, almost like a cartoon, and also trap the colour within. The surface looks flat, but the shapes of the dress have been created with quick, fluid brushstrokes. See the little green details, the sash, the trimming, the floor. It’s a subtle colour, but it really enlivens the composition as a whole. Notice that each shape has been carefully considered to create an overall balance, with areas of intense detail sitting next to areas of flat, open space. There's a real tension between representation and abstraction. Raoul Dufy comes to mind, though his mark-making is looser. There is something in common, though, in the ability of both artists to conjure a vision with just a few lines. It's a reminder that art is a conversation, and ideas are always being exchanged, reinterpreted, and expanded upon.