Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1913, No. 50 : Manteau de velours (...) 1913

This print by H. Robert Dammy, titled Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, was made in 1913. I can only imagine the process, the endless refinement of line, the careful layering of color, the small gestures in the design that make all the difference! It’s easy to just look at this as fashion illustration, but maybe it's something more? Maybe the artist was thinking about how the texture of the velvety lemon coat would feel against the skin? The slight droop of the model’s shoulders and the elegant hand posture communicate something about the times, but also about something eternal, about the weight of beauty itself. The juxtaposition of hard lines and soft curves creates a delicate balance in the composition. You feel the artist toying with the conventions of representation, pushing the boundaries of what a fashion plate can be. Like a painter in dialogue with past masters, H. Robert Dammy responds to the legacy of printmaking while charting their own path, and in the process they remind us that art is not about answers but about the ongoing act of questioning.