Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Mai 1931, No. 129, 11e Année, p. 3 1931

Editor: This is a piece entitled "Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l'élégance féminine" from May 1931 by R. Drivon. It appears to be a fashion illustration, made with ink and watercolor on paper. What strikes me is the emphasis on presenting archetypes. What do you make of it? Curator: The key word here is, indeed, “féminine.” Consider how the magazine format itself, and the fashion industry it promoted, helped shape new, evolving definitions of femininity in the early 20th century. The seemingly simple drawings participated in circulating very specific, arguably restrictive, ideals. Editor: Restrictive how? Curator: Look at the uniformity. These are all slim, tall figures with similar hairstyles. This ideal was relatively new and, arguably, excluded a vast majority of women at the time. What’s interesting is how "Art, Goût, Beauté" participates in setting standards for feminine elegance, but it is not clear whether it empowers women, or puts pressure on them to attain these looks. Editor: That's interesting. It is less about capturing unique beauty and more about enforcing certain fashion rules of the time, right? The magazine itself acts as a gatekeeper. Curator: Precisely. Who decides what "taste" and "beauty" are, and who benefits from those decisions? These are critical questions to ask ourselves. How do these images reflect broader socio-economic trends of the 1930s, for example? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was initially just focusing on the aesthetic. Curator: Seeing beyond the surface is crucial. By understanding the social and historical context of these kinds of artworks, we start seeing that they tell us stories of who wielded power in culture, and who didn't. Editor: I learned that even seemingly innocent fashion illustrations played a part in broader cultural dynamics and can inform the understanding of socio-historical narratives. Curator: And also helps you understand your own aesthetic and cultural judgements, doesn’t it?