Toujours Chic Hiver 1921-1922: index 1921 - 1922

This fashion plate, *Toujours Chic Hiver 1921-1922*, was made with pen and ink on paper by G-P. Joumard. The minimal mark making is very suggestive. Joumard gives us just enough information to imagine each dress in great detail. I love the way the lines are so delicate, yet they create such a strong sense of form and texture. Look at how the folds of the “Zulmee” dress are suggested with just a few strokes. There's a real economy of line, which makes me think of a calligraphic drawing. What I find most intriguing is how the blank space around the figures becomes just as important as the lines themselves. It is like the negative space in a sculpture, defining the shape and volume of the dresses. This reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin, where the subtle variations in the grid create a sense of infinite space. Fashion plates like this are a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, across time and across media.