Famous Fashion Houses 1914

George Barbier drew "Famous Fashion Houses" with a pen and then painted it with watercolor. I am thinking about the paper Barbier used, how it soaked up the brushstrokes, and the way this technique might be similar to printmaking. Was he thinking about the page as a scene? Did he consider the model in the image as a performer? It's as if he's showing us not just the clothes but the *feeling* of being fashionable. This lady in the picture is serving looks under a tree, grabbing a snack of cherries, no doubt. All the while, clouds float by, and we are reminded that being a fancy fashionista also means living and breathing. If he was alive today I'd tell him that sometimes a girl just wants to look nice while she plucks some fruit. But also, I love those art deco lines. I hope there were more artists like Barbier to capture a particular kind of chicness for future generations.