Gazette du Bon Ton, 1915 - No. 8-9, p. 26: Atours simples: Robes de Premet et Paquin 1915

This is 'Gazette du Bon Ton' by George Barbier, made around 1915 - a line drawing with watercolour. The colors are very restrained, just enough to animate the forms, like a blush rising to the surface. The figures feel light, almost like they could float away - like paper dolls. The mark-making is spare, allusive. The dresses rendered with a few well-placed lines and a scattering of dots, evoke a sense of texture without really describing it. It reminds me of Matisse, but with more of an eye for fashion than form. I love the ambiguity, how the image hovers between representation and abstraction. It feels very contemporary to me, in that way. You could compare this to Dufy and his fashion plates. Like Barbier, Dufy explored the intersection of art, design, and modern life. Both artists embraced a sense of playfulness, reminding us that art doesn't always have to take itself so seriously.