Gazette du Bon Ton, 1920 - No. 7, Croquis Pl. XXXV: Doeuillet 1920

Fernand Siméon's "Gazette du Bon Ton, 1920" unfolds like a fashion tableau vivant, all elegant lines and muted tones. I imagine Siméon, with his lithographic crayon, carefully delineating each fold of fabric, each delicate curve of the models’ forms. The work feels intimate, like a peek into the artist's sketchbook as he muses on shape and style. There is the pattern of the dress on the left, rendered with intricate precision, or the subtle shading on the central figure’s gown. The figures seem to emerge from the paper. The third is swathed in a cape, its edges softened by the lithographic process. It’s as if Siméon invites us to contemplate not just the garments themselves, but the very act of seeing, feeling, and recording the ephemeral beauty of a particular moment in time. And, through him, we see the ghosts of Toulouse-Lautrec and other printmakers whispering their approval.