Très Parisien (...)La Mode Le Chic L'Élégance 1925, Numéro 6, 1925-6e Année 1925

This is "Très Parisien," a magazine cover from 1925 by G-P. Joumard made with paint on paper. The first thing that strikes me is the color, a really limited palette of pinks, yellows, blacks and browns, all on that tan paper, which serves as a mid-tone. It feels like the painting was made quickly. I can imagine the artist moving around the whole surface at once, building it up and trying to capture the feeling of a spring day. It’s as if the artist’s hand is dancing across the surface, and I can almost feel the energy of the moment, that optimism and vibrancy, coming across. Look at the way the black paint has been applied to the tree trunk. It’s confident and bold, almost like a marker pen. I wonder what kind of brush was used here? These areas of dark color act as an anchor, contrasting against the pale pinks and yellows used in the blossoms above, which adds structure to the design. It reminds me a bit of some of Matisse's later work, particularly how he used simple shapes and flat planes of colour to create a sense of depth and space. Ultimately, it is an image which embraces an ambiguity of style.