Journal des Demoiselles 15 Aôut 1912, no. 5113

This fashion plate appeared in the Journal des Demoiselles in August of 1912. The anonymous artist has used a very soft palette here, almost as if they are working with watercolour. I like the subtle use of colour in the background which gives depth to the composition. The artist’s technique, which I think is a combination of pen and watercolour wash, is economical. It is about capturing the impression of something, a feeling more than a photographic likeness. This approach is particularly effective in rendering the details of the dress. The artist uses short, vertical lines of colour to create a visual texture. It puts me in mind of the work of Raoul Dufy, who had an amazing ability to capture the sensation of material in just a few confident marks. It’s about making marks that feel right rather than are right. Art’s about that feeling, that embrace of ambiguity.