Très Parisien, 1923, No 11: 18. - SIRENES. - Très grande allure... 1923

Curator: Today we're looking at "Tr\u00e8s Parisien, 1923, No 11: 18. - SIRENES. - Tr\u00e8s grande allure..." It's a print made in 1923 and currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My initial reaction is—bold. There's such a confident stylization of the figures. It's not just about representing clothes, it’s about creating an aura of high fashion, like captured lightning. Curator: Absolutely. The composition immediately suggests the art-deco movement through its emphasis on flattened space and the geometry inherent in its contours. The artist skillfully used drawing and print techniques. Look at the outlines—deliberate and confident. They establish the overall form. Editor: It feels theatrical. I imagine these women not just wearing clothes, but performing in them. It is that suggestion of narrative within something still that enchants me. Almost as though they are still moving in the frame. Curator: Yes, and notice the visual interplay between the dress and cape. The artist isn't only interested in representing textures—they want to establish a formal relationship between them using semiotic devices to denote ‘high fashion’. Editor: They absolutely manage it. I feel transported. I’m getting whiffs of jasmine and the echo of jazz music. It's an instant story; just looking, you create the drama yourself, the silent film comes to life. Curator: It is very easy to get caught up in this design. It reminds one that it's more than simply fashion; the artist, via form and figure, suggests an entire era. Editor: I concur. This era of liberation and change is now embodied in two standing figures and some beautifully executed ink. It will now have its turn to captivate future eyes too.