Manteau de velours 1913

George Barbier made this illustration, Manteau de velours, in 1914 with pochoir, a type of printmaking which uses stencils. The palette is muted, centered on black, white, and grey, but the image shimmers with subtle details, and it's these details that let the viewer into Barbier's world. Look at the fur collar, the way it caresses her neck, and how she holds the pearl necklace, almost lost in thought. I can imagine Barbier being very precise, yet playful when he made this; he's inviting us into a world of elegance and reverie, probably reacting against the austerity of his own time. The scene is framed by stylized details: a weeping willow, a boat, and figures along the shore, all rendered in decorative strokes. That's what I love about Barbier – he can take the real world and turn it into something dreamy and otherworldly. It reminds me of Erté, another contemporary, who worked in a similar vein. Artists are always riffing off each other, playing with ideas, and creating new ways of seeing.