Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 157 : Costume de serg (...) 1914

Curator: Ah, this work just hums with the spirit of a bygone era. Here we have a print titled "Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 157 : Costume de serg (...)" by Victor Lhuer. It’s rendered in ink and watercolor on paper. What do you think of this, at first blush? Editor: Serene, almost wistful. The colors are muted, yet the composition suggests a woman preparing, perhaps for an evening out, with a subtle anxiety hanging in the air. Curator: That’s astute! This print is from a fashion journal during 1914. If you look closely, Lhuer gives such weight and attention to line and form, creating a decorative art piece that’s utterly indicative of the Art Nouveau influence, all swirling finesse and elegant presentation. There's this mirroring too – she’s literally caught in a liminal space. Editor: Precisely. The mirrored image duplicates but doesn't perfectly replicate, offering a glimpse into perception versus reality. The very structure – the central figure framed within a room, framed within a print – insists on levels of reality and representation. Curator: It’s playful, in a way. I almost feel the artist, and maybe even the subject, winking at us through time. Perhaps there is that suggestion of change on the horizon. There’s a tenderness. And isn't it intriguing how those "coral buttons" detailed in the French caption below add pops of warmth, almost a whisper of life in a somber pre-war world? Editor: Yes! Consider too how Lhuer plays with horizontals and verticals. The strong verticals of the hat stand, the table legs versus the gentle curves in the mirror and the figure's posture. These visual dialogues provide a spatial harmony which counters the implicit tension of the moment. Curator: The contrast certainly does seem to create this balance. So much is communicated with such subtle choices of color. Editor: A striking piece. I’m left contemplating the boundaries between image and self, representation and reality, even fashion and art! Curator: I find it deeply personal—a captured moment just before the world changed, rendered with impeccable artistry.