Hoed met zwarte strik in pillbox-model van zwart stro, geheel belegd met meerkleurige bloemen onder een afhangende zwarte voile met noppen en strasstenen c. 1935 - 1940

Editor: Here we have "Hat with black bow in pillbox model of black straw, fully covered with multicolored flowers under a hanging black veil with dots and rhinestones," made sometime between 1935 and 1940. The mixed media and textile construction makes it seem so delicate. What jumps out to you when you see it? Curator: What strikes me most is the overt emphasis on artifice. The materials, while suggestive of natural forms—flowers, straw—are so obviously contrived. The symmetry, though not perfect, suggests a highly ordered aesthetic sensibility. We can analyse the formal relationship between the stark black base and the explosion of color and texture above. Notice how the veil introduces a complex interplay of light and shadow. Editor: The "explosion" is a good way to put it! There's so much happening on top. Does that clash with the more subdued base? Curator: Not necessarily clash, but create a dynamic tension. The smooth, dark plane grounds the efflorescence above, allowing it to "read" formally as an extravagant gesture rather than mere chaos. We see a clear hierarchy of visual elements. The veil too, adds to this structured interplay through its patterned, yet obscuring nature. It frames the composition and directs our eye. Editor: I see that now! The veil gives it all direction. It's fascinating how the artist used such contrasting elements to create a structured whole. It makes the artifice feel intentional. Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider how meaning is constructed through careful manipulation of form and material. By directing the gaze, Wiener Mode effectively conveys a sense of stylized femininity. Editor: I never considered the artifice of the materials as adding meaning rather than being purely decorative. Thanks for that shift in perspective. Curator: It is through a focus on the formal relationships and material qualities that the hat's deeper significance becomes clear.