Très Parisien, 1923, No. 2: Tissus de E. MEYER & CIE 1923

This fashion plate titled Très Parisien, from 1923, is one of a series showing fabrics from E. Meyer & Cie. The flat colour fields and emphasis on pattern are so striking! Check out how the artist built up the image with layers of opaque colour. There's a simple plaid on the dress, executed with thin lines of red and lavender over a peach coloured ground. The way the design is built up from repeated strokes and blocks of colour gives it a tactile quality. Even though it’s a print, it feels like you could reach out and touch the fabric. Look closely at the brown circles. They punctuate the plaid, grounding the design and adding a layer of complexity. The artist probably used stencils to build up the pattern and the negative space around the figure, which allows the colours to breathe and creates a sense of depth. The flattened perspective reminds me of Matisse’s paper cut-outs, where shape and colour become the main event, allowing us to focus on the beauty of design.