Très Parisien, 1925, No 11, p. 1: Une robe de velours (...) 1925

Editor: This drawing by G-P. Joumard, "Très Parisien, 1925," showcases two figures in dazzling outfits, created in 1925. The figures are mostly defined through elegant lines, with soft blocks of color defining their garments. I am especially interested in how their fashionable forms are streamlined through abstraction. What do you make of it? Curator: I am struck by the linear quality, immediately. Note the application of line defining shape and texture, and its strategic importance in delineating form through geometric principles, which provides a compositional foundation for the figures' visual structure. Joumard emphasizes the material of clothing itself as form. Editor: How do the components combine into a single statement, despite some abstraction? Curator: We must acknowledge that it uses line in two ways: both to render representational figures, and also to flatten depth. For instance, consider how the patterning on the figures' clothing flattens perspective. Do you agree with the semiotic suggestion? Editor: Yes, the contrasting geometric forms of the clothing, when seen in their relationship with the whole drawing, certainly highlight and abstract reality, instead of merely representing it. I never considered the line as working in two ways to render figures *and* flatten depth! Thanks for opening my eyes! Curator: Indeed, recognizing those intrinsic elements illuminates its enduring appeal, even across time.