Très Parisien, 1925, No. 7, Pl. 11. - SUR LA TERRASSE 1925

Editor: So, this is "Trés Parisien, 1925, No. 7, Pl. 11 - SUR LA TERRASSE," created by G-P. Joumard. It’s a drawing using ink and watercolour on paper. I find the stylized figures very striking and the colours so gentle, even delicate. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, beyond its clear Art Deco style, I’m fascinated by how the piece captures a very specific image of Parisian womanhood in the 1920s. Think about the silhouette: the dropped waist dresses, the short, bobbed hair, even the cloche hat. All are visual shorthands for modernity and female liberation, still influenced by visual and performance arts’ exoticism and primitivism from the late 1800s. Joumard uses these symbols very deliberately, offering the viewers of the time, or today, entry into that specific cultural moment. Do you see any symbols that are perhaps more hidden? Editor: Maybe the terrace itself? Is that representing a specific space, socially or culturally? Curator: Exactly! Terraces in Paris weren't just architectural features, they were stages for display, social interaction and, critically, the performance of social identity, or aspiration towards it. They visually connect to colonial legacies, through the concept of leisurely consumption and access, through commerce. The railing becomes part of a language expressing both privilege and ‘modernity.’ What are your overall thoughts now? Editor: I didn't see that the setting and fashion become symbols so deeply intertwined with social ideas! I'll look differently at the magazine plates now. Curator: Indeed. The image serves as a time capsule, filled with cultural meaning we can decode with a little exploration.