Gazette du Bon Ton, 1915 - No. 8-9: p. 24: Atours simples: dameshoeden 1915

This fashion plate was drawn by George Barbier for the Gazette du Bon Ton around 1915. You can see the linear quality of the illustration, the way he used ink to suggest texture and shape, and the flat pink and black areas of color. I wonder about Barbier, what kind of a person he was? You know, sitting there, making these drawings, probably chain-smoking, listening to some music, maybe stressed out about a deadline... I'm looking at the black hat in the lower left corner. It looks like a cartoonish blob, but it’s also kind of elegant in its simplicity. The outlines are so clear and definite, but then they just give way to soft pink. The pink against the black makes the image pop. I think about Picasso, Matisse... These guys were all looking at each other's stuff, but also at fashion illustrations, and cartoons, and all kinds of images in popular culture. The art world is like one big conversation.