Robe de jeunes filles en crêpe de chine rose avec des guirlandes de roses. 1919

Curator: Oh, this print practically exhales the 1920s! It's an anonymous drawing titled "Robe de jeunes filles en crêpe de chine rose avec des guirlandes de roses," dating from 1919. Editor: Rosy. Almost saccharine. I'm struck by how restrained it is, though. The colors are muted, even faded somehow, despite the vibrancy of the dress the figure's wearing. Curator: Exactly! It's the quintessential flapper dream, rendered in a delicate drawing medium and hinting at the shift into modernity, away from the exuberance of art nouveau with it simplified and geometric ornamentation. Editor: There's something wistful about the dog being dragged behind, straining on the leash held so lightly by the stylish girl. Is it resisting, or just lazy? The little boy struggling to keep up is really interesting to the entire scene! I feel the dynamic creates interesting story elements to be unfolded.. Curator: Perhaps it mirrors the transition? Society, like that dog, unwillingly dragged towards a new era of shorter hemlines and freer spirits, with all these hidden symbols? Editor: Symbols abound, you’re right. Note the girl's gaze – so self-assured! That unwavering stare speaks of confidence, almost defiance! Even with that charming rose dress! A visual contrast! Curator: That confidence, paired with the ephemeral crepe de chine… there’s a fleeting, fragile quality to youth, and beauty. Roses symbolize not just love but also ephemerality, no? Editor: Precisely! The symbolism layered on is delightful: beauty, but always aware of its transience, a subtle critique perhaps woven into this fashion plate? Curator: An interesting tension… the joy of the Jazz Age barely concealing an awareness of the immense social upheaval it took to get there, and also everything that will be lost? Editor: And that anonymous signature makes you wonder about all the forgotten artists, each holding a piece of our collective memory in their art, it’s intriguing. Curator: It really does... leaving you with so much to imagine, long after the fashions themselves are gone. Editor: Leaving us with all kinds of new meanings and symbols.