Gazette du Bon Ton. Art – Modes & Frivolités: Layout 1914

This is a layout from the Gazette du Bon Ton using ink on paper. Notice how Jan van Brock creates these ribbons, each a slightly different shade, all radiating from the figure like she is a fashion supernova! The flat colors, applied with simple outlines, remind me of paper cut-outs, so precise and clean, but there's also something playful in the way the ribbons don't quite line up or follow a strict pattern. It’s like the artist is having a conversation, a back-and-forth, between order and spontaneity. I'm drawn to the slightly off-kilter symmetry of the figure's pose, arms outstretched, as if she's balancing these wild ribbons. The ribbons become the dress, an expression of a body and a way of knowing, a feeling about the artist, and the person, and the moment. It reminds me of some of Sonia Delaunay’s textile designs, or perhaps even Schiele’s graphic work, but it’s also its own distinctive expression of the energy and excitement of the era. It feels so modern, so fresh, even now.