Très Parisien, 1927, No. 3, Pl. 15: Créations AMY LINKER (BALLARD et Cie) - SUR LA CROISETTE 1927

Curator: I am immediately drawn to the flattened perspectives, a key feature of the Art Deco aesthetic in this watercolor and ink drawing. It evokes such a specific mood—don't you think? Editor: Absolutely! There's something simultaneously glamorous and melancholic about it. Makes me want to sip a cocktail at a jazz club after a long day fighting for equal rights, somehow. It seems the artist J. Dory wanted to give us something pretty but without excessive sentimentalism. Curator: This particular work, entitled "Très Parisien, 1927, No. 3, Pl. 15: Créations AMY LINKER (BALLARD et Cie) - SUR LA CROISETTE" is held at the Rijksmuseum. Its style places it distinctly within a cultural moment that saw major shifts in the roles and representations of women. This piece seems to speak to both the performative and political possibilities inherent in fashion and portraiture at that time. Editor: Those plaid patterns… that fringed skirt... such a fabulous blend of textures and geometries. It's almost as if the fashion itself is making a statement about breaking free from the past. You know, throwing off the shackles of Victorian sensibilities, piece by gorgeous piece! Curator: Precisely. And the very choice of depicting what the title suggests are women "on the Croisette" speaks volumes. The Croisette being the famed boulevard in Cannes synonymous with luxury and display of wealth but also, more importantly, of agency, visibility, and presence. Editor: Definitely! And speaking of luxury, the way their shadows are rendered feels intentionally…harsh. There's no blending, just stark contrast that almost cuts. It grounds the entire composition and adds a compelling element of defiance. Curator: Which complicates easy readings of glamour or unburdened feminine display. Dory manages to critique class and performance subtly by highlighting the deliberate artificiality of constructed identities, ones expressed through both fashion and gender norms. Editor: Makes you wonder what they’re thinking. Are they posing, or are they about to rewrite history in those chic outfits? Curator: Exactly, this artwork feels like a fragment of a much bigger story being unveiled. Editor: You're right! A postcard from a revolution in style and attitude.