Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 136 : Pardessus de vigogn (...) 1914

Curator: Well, here’s something striking. This print from 1914 is titled “Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 136 : Pardessus de vigogn...” It's a rather elegant figure. Editor: Yes, that initial "blockiness" intrigues me. There's something almost... Cubist-adjacent in the simplification of forms, especially the sharp angles of the jacket and the deliberate flattening of perspective. Curator: It was a fashion plate, you see, so the focus was definitely on communicating the cut and details of the garment. In those years, publications like "Journal des Dames et des Modes" acted as vital conduits for disseminating Parisian styles, almost like today’s social media for couture houses. Editor: Precisely, and the artist, Jan van Brock, utilizes this flattening to amplify those details. The simplified shading draws immediate attention to the tailored lines of the "pardessus" - that's French for a kind of overcoat - and the distinct textures being presented. But that color – is that blue 'bleu de France'? Curator: I think so. This azure blue surely aimed to invoke not only fashion but French patriotism – think of the early months of World War One! Blue held enormous cultural sway. It suggests everything from the Virgin Mary’s robes to French royalty, a complex emotional package. Editor: An assertion of national identity expressed through fashion, cleverly contained within a streamlined aesthetic. The verticality is especially persuasive. Observe how the lines of the pants elongate the figure while maintaining the clean geometries. The hat then, that striking rounded form – Curator: Seems almost alien! A total interruption to the composition’s prevailing linearity. A visual anchor for the entire presentation of modern grace! Editor: Perhaps… And yet it creates such tension – that interruption of a visual code allows us to access the symbolic weight, the way van Brock synthesizes tradition and forward-thinking ideas about design. Curator: Indeed. Examining this piece today, we’re seeing the echoes of a world teetering on the edge of immense social and artistic change, all reflected in what was essentially an advertisement. It adds layers of depth. Editor: Agreed. Beyond the sartorial representation, one recognizes how deeply such stylistic choices reveal both an era's spirit and its coded dreams. A fascinating concision.