Très Parisien, 1926, No. 2, p. 1: La Mode en Général 1926

G-P. Joumard made this fashion plate, Très Parisien, in 1926, with some kind of printmaking technique. I can only imagine the conversations in the studio, the quick sketches, the proofs... The figures are minimal. They are given just enough detail to be evocative of a time and place. I love the interplay between line and wash, the way the artist uses color to suggest form and texture. I'm thinking about the other painters working at the time. This work has something of Dufy’s lightness of touch, but there is a restraint that feels very chic and very French. Joumard is saying something about modernity, about the changing role of women, and the glamour of Paris. The artist invites us to participate in their vision, and to find our own meaning in the work.