Très Parisien, 1921, ca. : GITANE / Je vaincrai ce soir,.. 1920

This is “Très Parisien, 1921, ca. : GITANE / Je vaincrai ce soir,...”, made around 1921 by an anonymous artist. I love the combination of soft yellows and blacks with the occasional flourish of ultramarine. It’s as though they’re singing the blues, but in Paris, you know? There’s a real playfulness here in the way the shapes are outlined and filled in with flat colors. It reminds me of old fashion plates but with a touch of irreverence. Look at the way the dress drapes, or how the sash is tied. Those blues hint at something darker, like a bruise almost. I find it funny that the artist is unknown. There’s something democratic about that anonymity, the idea that art can be made by anyone, anywhere. It makes me think of artists like Erté or Kees van Dongen, who were also capturing the spirit of their age. The lack of a signature can be interesting, it’s like a refusal to take ownership, or a claim that the work belongs to everyone.