Très Parisien, 1923, No 11: 3. - EMERALD. - D'une simplicité toute jolie... 1923

Editor: So, this is a fashion sketch, "Trés Parisien, 1923, No 11: 3. - EMERALD. - D'une simplicité toute jolie..." created in 1923 and now held at the Rijksmuseum. It's a drawing done with ink and watercolor, quite delicate. It feels very much of its time, with that distinct Art Deco flavor. The color is so striking too; how would you begin to describe this work and its effect? Curator: Emerald, they call it, and emerald it is! Immediately I am transported. Think of those flapper dresses shimmering in dimly lit jazz clubs, a world of champagne wishes and silk dreams. What captivates me is the way the artist captures movement with such minimal lines – the dress practically dances off the page! The fabric’s pattern, a whimsical sprinkle of leaves or perhaps stylized shells, tells its own silent story. Editor: The "simplicité" that the title mentions is interesting, though. There's that off-the-shoulder neckline and the fringe – doesn't it seem both simple *and* extravagant? Curator: Exactly! That's the delicious tension, isn't it? "D'une simplicité toute jolie..." a perfectly lovely simplicity. It's a carefully cultivated nonchalance, where effort masquerades as effortless grace. You see it in the subtle color palette as well; the soft brown in the shell patterns, and how that frames the dress. Do you think the fabric works despite having fringe at different scales? Editor: It creates a visual rhyme, somehow making it look cohesive despite being overwhelming on paper. I didn’t initially see the color nuances, but now that you mention the browns, the color complexity definitely adds to its rich character! Curator: Yes, like the shadow in a whisper. So what have we taken away from the dress' Emerald glamour, hmm? Editor: It feels like it’s more than just a pretty drawing. It’s a glimpse into a specific moment of Parisian chic. The fashion itself embodies larger ideas of art and culture at that point. Curator: Precisely! And that whisper echoes even now...a quiet glamour calling to us.