Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 136 : Pardessus de vigogn (...) 1914

Jan van Brock made this fashion plate in 1914 for the Journal des Dames et des Modes using pen and ink, probably etching, on paper. It is a vision of a woman in a long jacket and striped trousers, which looks pretty contemporary to me, if I'm honest! The way the lines are so clear and flat makes me think about how fashion plates are like diagrams, all about showing off the cut and shape of the clothes, but also about aspiration and feeling. The confident poise of the figure really comes through. Look at the casual way she places her hands on her hips, or how the shadow on the hat gives it depth and volume, compared to the flatness of the coat. In some ways, this reminds me of the work of Erte, who was doing similar images around the same time, but there's something about the plainness of van Brock's image which also reminds me of Agnes Martin, a kind of quiet intensity. In the end, it reminds us that art is a conversation, about how we see and what we want to show the world.