Très Parisien, 1923, No. 4: 15. -JEANINE. 1. Une très jolie robe... 1923

Editor: This is "Très Parisien, 1923, No. 4," a print held at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by the almost assembly-line feel to the figures; their stylized forms and the printed lines remind me of mass production. What do you see in this piece that goes beyond just a fashion plate? Curator: Beyond its function as a mere document of early 20th-century fashion, I see a window into the changing social fabric and the means of artistic production itself. Note how the print medium allowed for widespread dissemination of these styles. Editor: Absolutely. It seems that the dresses almost become commodities in themselves. The description at the bottom even reads like a product description. It highlights fabrics: taffeta, crepe, moire... Do you see an emphasis on materiality here? Curator: Precisely! And it makes us consider: where did these materials come from? Who were the laborers involved in creating them? Art Nouveau often blurred lines between "high" art and craft, and this print highlights the interconnectedness of artistic expression, material culture, and consumption. Also note how the visible printing process-- the linework, the layering of color-- brings the means of production to the surface, almost celebrating the industrial aspects. Editor: So it's not just about what the dresses look like, but the entire system of making and distributing them? Curator: Exactly. Think of the rise of department stores at the time and the changing roles of women as consumers. This print, with its stylized figures and emphasis on materials, reflects those shifts. Even the text mentioning "chez CERF" points to the specific location of production. Editor: That's a lot to unpack! I initially saw it as just a pretty image, but thinking about it through a materialist lens really opens it up to wider social and economic considerations. Curator: Indeed. Art, even something seemingly light like this, is rarely just about aesthetics.