Biedermeier Fashion 1908

Here's that drawing of Biedermeier Fashion by Urban Janke. The way it's made, you can almost feel the artist at work, deciding on the curves of the dress, the folds of the fabric, and the tiny floral patterns that line the trim. I wonder what Janke was thinking when they made this, so many colours and shapes! Was it for fun? Work? Who was this woman, and how did she feel wearing something like this? I think of all the fashion plates and costume designs made by painters like Sonia Delaunay, and the way that drawing becomes design becomes life. You can see the artist deciding on where the ruffles go, how much colour to add, and how to bring it all together on the page. It's like a recipe, isn't it? A dash of this, a sprinkle of that, and suddenly, a world comes to life on paper. We can find endless possibilities for making our own artwork. It reminds me that making paintings is part of a longer conversation that artists have been having with each other for centuries.