Modes et Manières d'Aujourd'hui, 1922, Pl. 11 : Bric-A-Brac 1922 - 1923

Fernand Siméon created "Bric-A-Brac" in 1922, a print that captures a fleeting moment of Parisian life during the interwar period. This was a time of immense social change and cultural effervescence. Siméon offers us a glimpse into a bustling flea market, a microcosm of Parisian society where different social classes converged. The print reveals the sartorial codes of the era, hinting at the gendered expectations placed on women. The women are preoccupied with the act of consumption while the man is there to observe. The "bric-a-brac," or odds and ends, suggest the allure of the past, as well as a desire to acquire and display objects that signified taste and status. Siméon's work reflects a society grappling with its identity in the wake of the war. There is the tension between tradition and modernity, commerce and culture. The print asks us to consider the relationships between consumerism, identity, and the performance of social roles in the urban landscape.