Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Mai 1929, No. 105, 9e Année, p. 20 1929

Curator: We are looking at “Art - Goût - Beauté,” a print from 1929. I’m particularly drawn to the decorative qualities and its seeming flatness. What strikes you upon first viewing this artwork? Editor: I'm fascinated by the styling, it's very characteristic of the Art Deco period. The use of watercolor gives it such a delicate feel, despite the stylized forms. What do you see as the most important aspects of this piece, formally speaking? Curator: It's crucial to observe the considered arrangement of shapes and lines. Note how the composition leads the eye through a series of carefully balanced elements. The color palette is restricted, generating a sense of refined elegance. The shallowness of space directs us towards surface design elements such as color harmony, line quality, and form that take precedence over naturalistic representation. Do you notice that, too? Editor: I do. I'm wondering why they didn't choose shading, which seems a little odd for this period. Curator: Indeed. This restraint contributes to its decorative impact. What effect do you think the combination of muted tones and flattened forms has on our experience of the image? Editor: It creates a somewhat detached feel. I notice how that flatness removes the sensuality from the women depicted. Curator: Exactly. The pleasure resides in our engagement with the pictorial design elements of color, line, shape and organization. This, in turn, generates an effect which seems to capture a kind of feminine ideal of the era, a distillation of charm into form. Editor: I’m now more aware of how a purely formal analysis can give us insight to artistic intentions. Thanks for pointing out how to unpack this complex image. Curator: It highlights how artistic choices directly impact aesthetic values and how close observation allows us to appreciate the artistry of fashion illustration in that particular era.