Très Parisien, 1925, No. 10, Pl. 18: - GRISERIE 1925

Curator: Welcome. We’re looking at “Très Parisien, 1925, No. 10, Pl. 18: - GRISERIE,” a striking print by G-P. Joumard, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. It showcases a fashionably dressed woman in a stylized Art Deco manner. Editor: My initial impression is one of languid opulence. The pale palette is juxtaposed with sharp geometric forms—a tension that lends it an undeniably modern, yet slightly detached, air. Curator: Absolutely. Consider the composition—the planar arrangement of colors, the simplified lines…it’s less about mimetic representation and more about the distillation of form to its essential components. Note also the tension created by the cropping. The frame encloses a contained field, establishing firm edges that suggest artifice and detachment. Editor: Indeed, but I’m also drawn to the symbolism embedded in the work. The woman, casually smoking in luxurious loungewear, projects an image of wealth and carefree independence. It is very symbolic of a certain societal shift, that of female autonomy emerging within the 1920's bourgeois culture. The choice of luxurious furs, juxtaposed with the casual pajamas, adds layers of decadent leisure to the overall iconography. Curator: Precisely. The imagery evokes the societal attitudes prevalent during that time period, echoing those emergent expressions in fashion and cultural mores. Also, the choice of media—watercolor and print—lends the image a certain ephemeral quality that subtly critiques notions of permanence in beauty. Editor: Yes, there is a calculated impermanence. The work almost seems aware of the fleeting nature of its contemporary moment. It perfectly embodies the zeitgeist of the 1920s. It seems like there is a subtle critique within the apparent celebration. Curator: Exactly. Joumard’s visual syntax invites us to question—or at least ponder—the constructs of beauty, modernity and representation. Editor: So, beyond its stylistic allure, “Très Parisien” stands as a vibrant reflection of cultural anxieties of a defining decade, laden with signifiers about women. Curator: I'd say it presents the framework for unpacking them.