Très Parisien, 1923, No 10 : 17.- CAUSERIE. - Cette robe de dentelle mordorée,... 1923

This is a fashion plate by J. Dory from 1923, probably made with watercolor and ink. It’s got these two flapper-type figures wearing elaborate dresses. I can imagine Dory at the drawing board, maybe in a garret in Montmartre, thinking about line and color, and how to capture the essence of Parisian chic. The dresses are these intricate, layered confections, with lace and embroidery. The palette is muted, mostly browns and greens, but there are pops of color in the floral patterns. I’m thinking about Matisse, maybe, and the way he used color to create a sense of depth and space. It’s all about suggestion, not description. It reminds me that painting is a form of conversation. We’re all talking to each other, across time and space, riffing on each other’s ideas. And maybe that’s what it’s all about: the endless exchange of looking, thinking, and making that keeps the whole thing going.