Très Parisien, 1923, No 5: 5.- JOURNÉE DES DRAGS... 1923

Editor: Here we have a print titled "Trés Parisien, 1923, No 5: Journée des Drags..." made in 1923, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It's rendered in ink and watercolor on paper and strikes me as very much a sign of its era. The color palette, the poses... it all feels very ‘roaring twenties.’ What do you see in it? Curator: You know, looking at this, I'm instantly transported back to jazz-age Paris. It's more than just fashion; it’s an echo of societal shifts, women embracing freedom and modernity. Notice how the artist emphasizes the linear forms, and flattened perspective --very much in the Art Nouveau vein, wouldn’t you say? There's almost a theatricality about it, with those bold outfits. Imagine these women gliding through a smoky salon. Don't you get a sense of performance and daring? Editor: Absolutely! The outfits really pop – especially the dress on the right. All that lacy fabric – lovely. Curator: It’s a celebration of the chic. The clothing almost becomes architecture, doesn’t it? But beneath that veneer, there's this current of the ephemeral - fashions fade, eras shift. And yet, captured in ink and watercolor, here we are still looking! What would these fabulous people think, do you imagine? Editor: Maybe they would be surprised to see their 'now' is now the 'past'. Curator: Perhaps, but I also suspect they'd recognize that hunger for beauty. Editor: Definitely gives you something to ponder. Thanks for the perspective.