Très Parisien, 1927, No. 3, Pl. 17: Créations SIMON SCHWARTZ .- LUNE ROUSSE 1927

This is G-P. Joumard's "Très Parisien, 1927, No. 3, Pl. 17: Créations SIMON SCHWARTZ .- LUNE ROUSSE", made sometime in the 1920s. It’s such a delicious, delicate piece! Look at how Joumard uses a limited palette, mostly browns, tans, and grays, to create these chic figures. It's as if the artist is building up the image, layer by layer. The way the lines are rendered is so assured, defining the forms of these ultra-stylish coats and hats. What really grabs me is the rendering of the coats themselves – the way the textures are suggested with just a few clever lines and dabs of color. I'm particularly drawn to the left-hand figure, the one whose coat is so richly patterned. Joumard really suggests the texture of fur with just a few strokes. It reminds me of Erté, but with a quieter, more understated sensibility. This is art as conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. Joumard's work is a reminder that art doesn't have to shout to be heard, it can whisper, too.