Gazette du Bon Ton, 1920 - No. 5 : Une robe du soir de Worth 1920

This is a fashion plate made in 1920 for the Gazette du Bon Ton by Bernard Boutet de Monvel. I like how the flowing lines of the dress are rendered so simply, and the way the shadow creates a kind of ambiguous space around the figure, so you’re not quite sure where she is, or what’s going on around her. I can imagine Monvel, back in 1920, quickly capturing the drape of the fabric with a few strokes of his pen or brush, making the form emerge through a process of addition and subtraction. The red ink gives depth to the garment, making the dress seem alive. What might she be thinking, this woman in her beautiful Worth gown? Is she off to some party, or lost in some dream? Like all artists, Monvel was probably inspired by the fashion of the time and other artists who captured the style of the 1920s. We can get a sense of the era, the mood, and the feeling that this artwork can still communicate today. Artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other across time, inspiring each other's creativity.