Très Parisien, 1926, No. 1, Pl. 8.- NEIGEUSE 1926

Editor: Here we have "Très Parisien, 1926, No. 1, Pl. 8 - Neigeuse" by G-P. Joumard, a drawing from 1926 currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. My initial impression is that the artwork really captures the fashion trends of the Roaring Twenties. What elements jump out at you when you look at it? Curator: Ah, a little flapper triptych, perhaps? What delights me about these kinds of fashion plates, and this one is particularly yummy, is the fantasy element. These women don't *really* exist, not like that. They’re a carefully constructed dream, selling not just clothes, but a lifestyle, a feeling. Notice how they're not individualized—more archetypes than portraits. Does that ring true for you? Editor: Absolutely! They are more like ideals than real people. I also notice the distinctive Art Nouveau style. It's quite elegant. Curator: Elegance, but with a bit of an edge. The slight awkwardness in their poses, the elongated limbs—it’s all very deliberate. It hints at the break from Victorian stuffiness, that delicious tension between wanting to be proper and wanting to dance the Charleston all night. Do you think it achieves that? Editor: Yes, definitely! The colours, too, contribute to that feeling. There is something so playful about the colour palette and use of watercolors. Curator: Exactly! And think about who was consuming these images. Women, mostly, yearning for something new, something liberating. It's a little window into their desires, don't you think? A powerful and often overlooked corner of art history, if you ask me. Editor: I agree. I've learned to appreciate the subtleties within what might seem like a simple fashion plate, understanding the dreams it represents. Curator: Indeed, a glimpse into a very particular Parisian dreamscape. One with hemlines rising and spirits lifting!