Très Parisien, 1925, No. 7, Pl. 9: Créations PHILIPPE et GASTON - LE JOUR ET LA NUIT 1925

G-P. Joumard made this fashion plate in 1925 using pochoir, which is a printmaking technique. I love the way the colours almost feel like a flat graphic, but then little inconsistencies emerge. Look at the face of the figure on the left, the way the pigment pools slightly unevenly on the cheek; the application of colour feels so considered, like each shade was applied with its own stencil. The colour palette is very limited, but effective: each outfit is defined by the contrast between light and dark, ‘le jour et la nuit’. The artist has considered both line and block colour here, the solid shapes offset by hatched mark-making. It reminds me a little of Matisse’s cut-outs, the way he would simplify forms and experiment with bold colour combinations. And, like Matisse, Joumard embraces ambiguity; this print is not about perfect representation, but about capturing a mood. It is about an elegant and joyful representation of contemporary fashion, in that particular moment in time.