Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 168 : Grande robe du soir (...) 1914

George Barbier made this print, Grande robe du soir en brocart d'argent, in 1914 for the Journal des Dames et des Modes, using black ink on paper to explore the height of Parisian fashion. The linear quality of the print, the graphic shapes and patterns, are so eye-catching. It’s all about shape and form, flat blacks against white space. Look how the artist uses only line to describe the details of the dress, the folds, the textures. The Peacock repeats the headpiece of the figure, and the flowing tresses of the willow tree mirror the lines of the dress. It's all about contrast, the clean lines of the dress against the dark, mysterious background. A bit like Matisse, with a nod to Aubrey Beardsley. Barbier's work, like that of Erté, brings a kind of theatrical drama to the page. The work remains open, suggestive, never quite resolving into one fixed interpretation.