Berthe in a Cafe, Boulevard Sebastopol (Berthe dans un cafe, Boulevard Sebastopol) c. 1927 - 1929

Editor: Here we have André Dunoyer de Segonzac's "Berthe in a Café, Boulevard Sebastopol," made with ink drawing and print around 1927-1929. There's such a somber feeling to the image of the woman in the café. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the melancholy, I see a representation of female subjectivity during the interwar period. Consider the cafe: a space increasingly accessible to women, yet still a site of potential alienation. Do you notice how the woman's gaze is directed away from us, almost internal? Editor: Yes, it's like she's lost in thought. Curator: Precisely. Segonzac captures a sense of modern detachment. Her isolation also resonates with broader societal anxieties of the time. Remember, this was a period of significant social and political upheaval, with women navigating changing roles. Editor: So her solitude could reflect the challenges women faced even with new freedoms? Curator: Exactly. And look at the composition – the starkness of the lines, the limited use of detail. Segonzac may have employed these visual elements to underline the emotional starkness, a world rendered fragile after the war. Do you see other ways the setting contributes to this portrayal? Editor: Now that you mention it, the single glass also amplifies her loneliness. It’s like a symbol of the social isolation people felt even when surrounded by others in a city. Curator: Well observed. Perhaps, understanding this work provides an avenue to reflecting on the continuing tension between individual experiences and larger societal narratives. Editor: It’s amazing how a simple drawing can hold such complex ideas about the shifting roles of women and the mood of an era.