Toujours Chic Les Deshabillés, Hiver 1921-1922: Paulette

G-P. Joumard made this fashion plate, Paulette, in 1921 or 22. It's a page torn from a magazine, and what grabs me is how the artist embraced simplicity. There’s something so satisfying about those flat planes of color, Ruby red for the velvet sleeveless top, black satin details, white trousers - it's direct, and honest. The thin black lines defining the forms seem drawn with a confident, continuous stroke, like a dance, which is nice. Look at the way the white trousers are rendered with just a few lines, giving them shape and suggesting movement. Then, there's that patch of soft blue behind her legs; it's so subtle, but it creates depth, atmosphere. It's a tiny area, but it makes the whole image breathe. It reminds me a little of Erté, though perhaps with less flamboyance! Joumard's print is about a particular moment in time but, like any artwork, it sparks a conversation that continues to unfold.