Très Parisien, 1926, No. 1, Pl. 1.- BELLE AU BOIS DORMANT 1926

This fashion plate from 1926, made by G-P. Joumard, uses delicate lines and washes of color to depict Parisian style. I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper. Looking at the confident strokes that define the figures, I imagine Joumard capturing a fleeting impression of modern women. Maybe he wanted to evoke the energy of the Jazz Age, that restless, forward-looking spirit. The pastel hues create a sense of airy elegance, and the patterns on the fabrics suggest movement and texture. How do you create texture on a flat surface? That's the painter's problem. This piece reminds me of Erté, but also later fashion illustrators like Antonio Lopez. There's a lineage here, a conversation across time, each artist building on the other's vision. Painting is not just representation, it is a form of embodied expression that embraces ambiguity. Fashion illustration can be a kind of dream-making.