Très Parisien, 1927, No. 3, Pl. 16: Créations BECHOFF - PALM-BEACH 1927

This fashion plate, Très Parisien, was made in 1927 by G-P. Joumard. The cool palette of grays, greens, and pinks creates a scene that's both chic and serene, yet there's something slightly unsettling about it too, maybe in the hard outlines and flattened space. I'm drawn to the way the artist renders the texture of the fabrics, especially the fur trim. What was Joumard thinking when he made this? I get a sense of the artist's hand in every line, a direct translation of touch onto paper. I feel like I can imagine the rhythm of his brushstrokes as he created the pattern on the dress to the left. It’s so evocative, almost like handwriting. The figures are so stylized, yet so elegant. I wonder if they are real people or composite figures designed to showcase the clothes. There's a conversation happening across time here, from this artist to another, as we respond to the past and carry it into the future. Joumard reminds us that painting is never really finished, it’s always open to new ways of seeing and feeling.