Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 147 : Costumes du matin 1914

This is ‘Costumes du matin,’ a fashion plate made in 1914 by an artist known only as Monogrammist MFN. The artist made this using etching and engraving. The image is so simple, just a few lines describing a whole world! I’m always interested in how artists decide what to leave *out* when they’re making something. Here, Monogrammist MFN has created a scene, three girls, a dog, even a landscape with just the barest minimum of marks. Look how they’ve described the texture of the field, it's like a series of tiny abstract paintings scattered across the page. You can almost feel the crisp morning air! There’s something about the flatness of the image that reminds me of Alex Katz, another artist interested in the power of suggestion, and who can do so much with so little. Like Katz, Monogrammist MFN understands that art is an ongoing conversation about how we see the world, and I love how this piece invites us to join in.