L’Oiseau Volage 1914

Created in 1914 by French illustrator George Barbier, *L’Oiseau Volage* exemplifies the Art Deco style. Barbier was known for his elegant and stylized depictions of women, as seen in this illustration of a fashionable lady in a floral dress, adorned with elaborate jewelry. She reaches up to a blue bird flying from a branch of an ornate tree, creating a sense of whimsical grace. The bird's flight symbolizes freedom, perhaps contrasting with the lady's confined position near the empty birdcage, inviting viewers to ponder the themes of confinement and liberation. This illustration epitomizes the Art Deco movement's emphasis on geometric forms, decorative motifs, and luxurious aesthetics, reflecting the fashionable and glamorous zeitgeist of the era.