Toujours Chic Les Deshabillés, Hiver 1921-1922: Scarabée 1921 - 1922

Editor: Here we have "Toujours Chic Les Deshabilles, Hiver 1921-1922: Scarabee" by G-P. Joumard, a pen and watercolour drawing now at the Rijksmuseum. The figure has an undeniably stylish yet slightly cartoonish flair. What associations does it conjure for you? Curator: The title is evocative. "Scarabée," the scarab beetle, has long carried deep symbolic weight. In ancient Egypt, it represented renewal and rebirth, the cyclical nature of existence mirroring the sun's daily journey. Do you notice how the dark jacket and cuffs contrast so sharply against the mauve? Editor: Yes, it creates a strong visual emphasis, a sort of graphic boldness. But I'm unsure how that connects with rebirth. Curator: Perhaps the artist intended the dark velvet as a symbolic layer of earth or the underworld, with the lighter mauve signifying a sort of emerging lightness or a new dawn in fashion and style? These bold outlines suggest a visual break from tradition. What about the choice of colours? Do they speak to you? Editor: The purples and blacks definitely speak to the Art Deco period...they feel luxurious. It’s interesting to consider the beetle symbol in light of post-war, hopeful artistic expression. It's quite thought-provoking. Curator: Indeed. Joumard invites us to see beyond a simple fashion sketch, prompting reflections on transformation and cultural memory carried within even seemingly ephemeral images of style. Editor: I see what you mean now! I will definitely think about fashion as a carrier of deeper meaning moving forward!