Très Parisien, 1927, No. 6 : -5: Création J. SUZANNE TALBOT (...) 1927

This fashion plate, made in 1927 by an anonymous artist, uses delicate colour washes. You can almost feel the artist working through the image, building it up layer by layer. The palette is really limited, a world of beiges, browns, creams, and a little bit of black for punch. It reminds me of a sepia photograph that someone decided to carefully, selectively tint. Look at how the white of the skirt is actually made up of lots of different tonal varieties. But it's the silhouette that does it for me. The flat shapes and confident lines manage to suggest a modern woman. The way the black shapes of foliage cut across the soft ground plane creates a delicious tension. The whole thing feels so light, breezy, and incredibly stylish, and reminds me a little of Erté. It's a beautiful example of how less can be so much more.