Femina, Mars 1928: 8: Twee japonnen met volants, van Philippe & Gaston 1928

Juan Moreno Tejada made this illustration of dresses from 1928 with ink, and it feels like a memory of something, or a ghost. I can see the artist working methodically, building up layers of delicate lines to capture the sheen of the dresses and the atmosphere of the fashionable salon. The ink is thinly applied, creating subtle gradations of tone that give the figures a sense of depth. But the composition is totally flat. I wonder if Juan was thinking about other fashion illustrators, like Erté, or maybe even cubist painters like Picasso, and all the other artists that inspire each other to make new things. Look at how the figures are rendered with such precision and style. It's like a conversation across time, a dialogue between artists who push the boundaries of their craft. Painting is always such a strange conversation, a constant and embodied exchange of ideas.